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The amnesty law and the unique financing for Catalonia have been two very controversial issues in this legislature. Also, within the PSOE: Felipe González, Alfonso Guerra and other veteran leaders of socialism have formulated harsh criticism of these measures, which, according to some, violated the Constitution and changed the nature of the PSOE.
For this reason, when the 41st Congress of the PSOE was convened, it was to be expected that there would be criticism of the management of the Executive (that is, of the Government) at least with respect to these transcendental measures. As a corollary, someone would propose to the delegates some draft resolution that would express the need for a new direction for the PSOE, even a new leadership. It was to be expected that the criticism we had seen in the media would be expressed in Congress. If only to put a pike in Flanders, that is, on the congress platform. In the political culture of the left, Congress is the place to debate issues of such importance for the country and the party.
In the political culture of the left, Congress is the place to debate issues of such importance
However, there has been no substantive debate due to the non-appearance of critics. The amnesty has not received any objections worth mentioning. The issue of the reform of the regional financing system (which frames the unique financing for Catalonia) has been settled with an agreement with all the regional leaders, which says something like that, in the end, the new financing system will be approved multilaterally in the CPFF following bilateral State-Autonomous Community negotiations. More or less what has always been done. And that, as always, there will be more resources for all the CCAA. In the end, the executive’s management has been approved without debate and with 90% support. Critics have criticized a lot outside the party and nothing within it. Which leads me to the conclusion that the critics were exaggerating greatly.
With only one candidate for the General Secretariat and no debate, the Congress has not aroused any interest in the media. Regarding the election of the new Executive, the saint’s advice has been applied: in times of tribulation, do not change. The Secretary General has focused his speech on vindicating the government’s management, promising more of the same and starting to prepare for the 2027 elections. The PP has taken note and has reacted assuming that there are no elections in sight.
But these are times of tribulation, there is no doubt. It is not the first time that the PSOE has gone through a situation like this. In the last years of Felipe González’s government, an operation was carried out to overthrow the government. A conjunction of politicians (Aznar), journalists (Pedro J., Ansón) and some judges unleashed a political-media-judicial battle whose maximum objective was to bring down the government “through judicial means” (taking Felipe González to jail). or, at the very least, wear down the PSOE. Someone from the then-called “crime syndicate” confessed that, since there was no way to win Felipe González at the polls, they had to do whatever it took, even going so far as to destabilize the country, in order to overthrow the socialist government.
It is not the first time that the PSOE has gone through a situation like this. In the last years of Felipe González’s government, an operation was developed aimed at overthrowing the government
At that time, we witnessed, astonished, formidable scandals such as the one involving Luis Roldán, General Director of the Civil Guard, fleeing Spain with the loot harvested from the collection of illegal commissions. The Governor of the Bank of Spain was arrested and accused of serious crimes, an arrest that led to the resignation of the Socialist Group spokesman, Carlos Solchaga. Not a day went by without a scandal, a resignation, an accusation of corruption. But that was just the garnish. The highlight was the GAL affair, in which Felipe Gonzalez was intended to be accused of murder. Nothing less. In the end, Felipe González did not go to jail, but Barrionuevo, Minister of the Interior, did. I remember that many militants went to the Guadalajara prison to support the imprisoned Vera and Barrionuevo, aware that we were witnessing a political-media-judicial operation with a very specific goal: to overthrow the socialist government. These were times of great tribulation for socialist militancy.
Compared to that, the political-media-judicial harassment that we now experience against Pedro Sánchez, through his wife and his brother, has much less impact. Against the amnesty, the right launched a brutal offensive, which put the “judicial party” on a war footing. A part of the judiciary has become a spearhead of opposition to the government. In practice, the “judicial party” is the most important piece of the opposition to the government. Some hard-working judges have not hesitated to act with blatant bias. Today it can be said that, in Spain, justice is independent but it is not impartial. The partiality of justice causes serious damage to the rule of law, one of whose pillars is, precisely, equality before the law. Trust in justice, which was already on the rocks, has disappeared. It is understood that rulers have no choice but to proclaim their confidence in justice. But someone has to denounce “lawfare”, the judicial war against the Government, something that is not new, but is more evident than ever.
The highlight of the political-media-judicial harassment focuses on the President’s wife and brother, with accusations so unsubstantiated and far-fetched that they even seem ridiculous.
The highlight of the political-media-judicial harassment focuses on the President’s wife and brother, with accusations so without substance and so far-fetched that they even seem ridiculous. Nothing to do with the matter of the GAL and the intention to place Felipe González (Mr. It must be deduced that if the Government did not fall then, less so now. It seems to me that that is what Feijóo has come to tell his people. Which does not mean that they are not going to continue with the raca raca of corruption and “go away Mr. Sánchez” for lack of a better idea.
That is why it does not seem like a very good idea to define this Congress as one of resistance. Unless we mean resisting the wave of extreme right that began a few years ago and that now, after the election of Donald Trump, threatens to overwhelm us. But it seems to me that this Congress has not dedicated itself to preparing the Socialist Party for that battle. As a button shows: it seems to the authors of the paper that the defining feature of the political situation is that “socialism advances.” Really? Where is it moving forward? What is advancing is the extreme right, it seems to me.
The main task in these times of tribulation is to stop the extreme right
Consequently, the main task in these times of tribulation is to stop the extreme right. The eight parties that voted for Sanchez’s investiture a year ago did so to avoid a far-right government. There is no left majority in the Cortes to “advance socialism.” The government is left-wing and progressive but the majority of the investiture is not. With those oxen you have to plow, I say govern, but without asking the elm for pears.
Govern for what? In my opinion, the Government has to focus on two issues: addressing the housing crisis and recovering purchasing power, especially in the lowest income brackets.
The housing crisis will not be resolved in the short term, but citizens must have the perception that a process has begun that will change the situation in a reasonable period of time. In that sense, the creation of a public housing company seems like a success to me because it sets the course because it conveys the idea that the Government is concerned about the housing problem.
On the salary issue, it is the unions that have to take the initiative, although the Government can do much in matters such as the evolution of the minimum wage and personnel at the service of the administration. It seems to me that insisting on reducing the working day does not put the emphasis where it belongs: the salary. In other words, this legislature will not be justified only by the reduction of working time. If economic growth is not accompanied by a significant salary improvement, we run the risk that many workers will see that the economy is going well for some, but not for them.
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