Something is happening

The debate surrounding the no-confidence vote—which Santiago Abascal should never have proposed, a mistake he will pay dearly for—has strengthened Pablo Casado and Pedro Sánchez. Casado emerges stronger because he gave the best speech of his life and has got rid of the dead weight of VOX, and left Sánchez without rhetoric, when he has been billing himself as El Cid, who would save Spain from the extreme right-wing. The speech strengthened Sánchez because, when the debate was over, there lingered in the air a certain indefinable something that opens the door to the possibility that Spain can overcome the many ills it suffers: a Government that depends on populists, champions of independence and the partners of terrorists.

There remains in the air the idea that, if Casado reinforces his team —which he must do— and acts with intelligence and generosity, and if Sánchez dares to bet firmly on politics of State and an unequivocal support of the Constitution, he might start to detach himself from his commitments to unappealing partners and acquire those which are appropriate to the head of a democratic government. These are commitments which have unfortunately been conspicuous in their absence, to the point that doubt has been cast on whether he has fulfilled what as the head of Government he swore to or promised when he assumed office.

Pablo Casado has, in effect, appeared as the leader of the opposition. His speech was courageous, but he must go farther. Spain is in the throes of a health crisis[contexto id=»460724″] with lethal consequences for the economy, with a minority president that has thrown himself into the arms of those who love Spain the least and accepted certain proposals imposed by his partners that go beyond the Constitution. Casado has it within his power to do what leaders of very different personal histories and political ideas did after the dictatorship, which was to arrive at agreements that defend the interests of Spaniards.

If Casado wants to maintain the hope that flooded the center-right ever since they heard him speak last Thursday, it will be indispensable to establish a dialogue with Pedro Sánchez in order to tackle essential problems jointly: the renewal of the Consejo General del Poder Judicial (General Council of Judicial Power), which goes without saying, but also a dialogue on even more important matters, such as health and economic measures that can save us from going to hell, the European Union, nationalisms or the defense of institutions, beginning with the Crown.

To insist as a condition that Podemos not take part in the negotiations is ridiculous: let them be there, if they wish; what matters is that Sánchez and Casado agree that their presence should be irrelevant and that the formal agreements reached be authored by the president of Government and the opposition leader. And if at a given moment Iglesias decides to retreat —unlikely, but even more unthinkable things have happened in politics—well, then, that is even better for Spaniards who are alarmed by the direction in which the socialist-podemite government is going.

Dreaming doesn’t cost a thing…