Why does Spain not have someone like Trump?

Donald Trump US presidentDonald Trump

Trump is not peculiar just to the US. There are Trumps in Austria, France, the UK and in every country. Except, surprise, surprise, in Spain!

Let’s consider a simple conjectural outline of the social crisis as I see it: firstly, globalisation is apparently an outright success in the 1990s, but in reality it’s a blow for the lower classes in the Western world which is concealed in a massive financial bubble. Secondly, the bubble bursts, leaving an unpleasant skeleton of a poorer society with more social differences, more unemployment and more anger. Then thirdly, the Trumps spring up like mushrooms.

What I am trying to say is that yes I do see a cause and effect relationship between globalisation and the bubble. They are two sides of the same coin. The first serves the purpose of concealing  the consequences of the second.

Now what is going on in Spain that we don’t have an extreme rightwinger like Trump?

Is it a kind of vengeance for being rightwing, although it’s democratic? A frenzy for being correct and therefore leftwing? Do the slogans run so deep even when not explicity pronounced?

It’s not that there isn’t any violent fascism. There is in Podemos, for example. Many of Pablo Iglesias’ speeches are proof of this. But it’s a leftwing fascism. And I have never liked these explanations about opposite extremes having more in common than we think.

Nor do I believe for as second that facism is hiding within the PP.

A facet which is too peculiar for us to see it.

 

 

About the Author

Miguel Navascués
Miguel Navascués has worked as an economist at the Bank of Spain for 30 years, and focuses on international and monetary economics. He blogs in Spanish at: http://http://www.miguelnavascues.com/