Fernando González Urbaneja | If achieving power is difficult, losing it is bitter; few know how to lose. When Felipe González lost, he did so with the sweet feeling that it was a close call, thus mitigating a defeat that had been foretold; he knew how to lose, half-heartedly; and it did not take him long to realise that his time was up. On Sunday in Seville almost none of…
Juanma Moreno Bonilla, the leader of the PP in Andalusia, will be able to govern the autonomous community with a comfortable absolute majority (58 seats out of a total of 109) after winning 42% of the vote, more than one and a half million ballots, against a PSOE that won less than one million, 25% of the vote, and 30 seats, three fewer than in the previous legislature. Vox, the…
Since 2020, the PSOE has lost in Galicia, the Basque Country, Madrid and Castilla y León, and has only won in Catalonia. The Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas predicts a clear victory for the PP on 19 June, with 35% of the votes for Moreno Bonilla (15% more than 4 years ago), compared to 25% (3% less than 4 years ago) for the new PSOE candidate, Juan Espadas. According to this…
Another heart-stopping vote. Now for the audiovisual law. Once again, the Government has ended up at odds with its partners and, on this occasion, also with itself. The PSOE and Unidas Podemos have split with a vote in favour and an abstention, respectively, despite the fact that it is a law that has been sponsored by the Executive itself. This was evident in the vote: 130 yeses (PSOE, PNV, CC,…
Fernando González Urbaneja | All the polls (except those of the CIS) improve the voting expectations of the PP with Feijóo at the helm and worsen those of Sánchez’s socialism. In fact, they sketch out a tie at around 30% of the vote for each. And all the polls show that the Prime Minister’s rating is below that of the party and some of his ministers. These ratings seem to…
The Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS) has asked Spaniards about “tension”. A large majority believe that, at “these times”, there is “a lot or quite a lot” and the main culprits are PSOE and Vox. The barometer directed by José Félix Tezanos says that political tension worries 79% of Spaniards and that almost 90% of citizens are calling for an end to it. According to 44.6% of those surveyed, there…
Fernando González Urbaneja | A decade ago now, in the midst of the 2008-12 recession, that of the financial crisis which was more than that, the so-called “15M” movement emerged in Spain and “Occupy WS” in New York. They proclaimed loudly, chanting slogans such as: “they don’t represent us”, “they call it democracy and it isn’t”, “Take the square”, “PP and PSOE it’s the same shit”, “no home, no job,…
Luis Alcaide | Espionage and misunderstandings between Catalan supporters of Esquerra and Spanish supporters of the PSOE. The Spanish state, like any other, is doing its duty in the face of possible aggressions against its integrity and the liberty of its citizens. The director of the CNI, Paz Esteban, explains herself in the Congress of Deputies. The pro-independence parties and the most left-wing leftists do not quite accept the arguments…
A dozen parties that normally vote for the coalition government’s projects, amongst them the partners of Unidas Podemos, last week registered a request for a commission of enquiry into the Pegasus case. They believe that the fact that the PM himself, Pedro Sánchez, and the Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles, have been spied on aggravates the case, and demand accountability. UN Podemos, ERC, EH Bildu, Junts, PdeCAT, the CUP, Más…
Fernando González Urbaneja | Amongst the characteristics of advanced democracies, in addition to clean and regular voting, the separation of powers, the existence of a militant public opinion, i.e. with independent and critical media… there is also a system of accountability, of explaining the actions of the government to the citizens. For example, on the succession of scandals linked to the urgent and disorderly purchases of health equipment to deal…