SPANISH POLITICS
For those who do not keep up with what is happening in Spain, this is a quick summary.
Yesterday the members of PSOE in Andalucia voted for their leader.
In contest were Susana Diaz, the current leader, who lost the last election for the Junta (and proclaimed that she had really won because PSOE got more votes but lost overall control, giving the regional government to PP with the help of VOZ and Cs).
Her campaign for reelection was based of an attack on machismo, which I assume meant vote for me because I’m a woman.
But with a 75% turnout of PSOE members across Andalucia they replaced her with the current Mayor of Seville.
The significance is that she is an opponent of the current President of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, whereas the new leader of PSOE in Andalucia is a supporter of Sanchez.
Nationally, the leader of Podemos has resigned from politics and had a hair cut.
He has been replaced by a young woman no-one has heard of, and in 12 months probably will still not have heard of.
As for Cs they are rapidly disappearing into irrelevancy.
How will this affect who governs Spain?
At the moment Pedro Sanchez shows no sign of calling a general election.
His minority government is in power with the support of various regional parties.
The regional parties have always used their vote to get the most they can for their regions.
But with a very nationalist PP, which cannot lose their francoist support for a rejection of regional identity, this will usually favour PSOE.
Which inevitably comes to Catalunia.
The leaders of the declaration of UDI are still in prison after over 3 years.
The main leader has sought asylum in Waterloo (that’s the battlefield not the station).
The leadership of the main independence party (socialist republican party of Catalunia) is supporting the PSOE government in parliament.
And they have now stated that the declaration of UDI was a mistake.
So for two reasons Pedro Sanchez is considering granting an amnesty to the imprisoned leaders of the UDI.
Obviously to bolster support for his government in parliament.
Secondly because it’s the only logical way to end the conflict.
But it’s a gamble, not supported by 65% of the population.
Of course this has caused outrage amongst the right in Spain.
Yesterday there was a demonstration in Madrid, with thousands dressed in the Spanish flag, and speeches from the populist PP mayor of Madrid, the PP leader and the leader of VOZ.
However some PP regional leaders decided they were too busy to attend.
The gamble from Pedro Sanchez is that by the time of the next general election this will be forgotten except by the people who would never vote for him anyway.
The election will by then be about how successfully the present government rolls out the investment from the EU post pandemic.
In the meantime life for most people goes on.
In the Spanish cities away from the coast the hotels and restaurants are busy with Spanish tourists and locals, and the occasional British resident tourists.
Of course 10% of the economy depends on holiday tourists.
The Spanish Government has done all it can by opening the country and having a very efficient vaccination programme.
It all depends on Germany and the UK. And no-one knows how that will work out.
