Spain has been associated in Poland for years with the governments of the far left. Recently, however, we have been informed that her political dominance may come to an end on this holiday. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez decided to order an earlier election to take place on 23 July, after his PSOE organization lost the regional elections steeply to the centre-right People's Party. There was besides a crucial increase in support of the national-conservative VOX party. The polls indicate that the People's organization may take over, but most likely it will request a coalition player. The only solution may be an alliance with the VOX party, which the average People's organization is trying to avoid. Will the right take power in far left Spain? On the upcoming elections in Spain ed. Rafał Buca talks to Alvaro Peñas, a national-conservative writer associated, among others, with portals The European Conservative and Disidentia.
Rafał Buca: A fall in support of Pedro Sanchez' left-wing government in fresh months has been powerfully felt, and local elections have only confirmed that. In part of the regions where PSOE previously dominated (including Valencia, La Rioja, or Aragon), the centre-right People's organization now rules. Why has PSOE's support fallen so drastically over the last fewer months? Is it the responsibility of cooperation with separatists, price increases in stores, controversial bill ‘That is the only way to mean yes" (feminist law, which, through a legal loophole, allowed to shorten the sentences of over a 1000 sex offenders), or possibly the Spaniards are just tired of the left?
Alvaro Peñas: The fall of PSOE was not that drastic – it lost just over 400,000 votes. Previously, PSOE maintained a very strong clientelistic structure for years, which allowed it to keep power in the regions even erstwhile PP (Popular Party) ruled at national level. failure of these votes, promotion of PP and VOX and fall Subemos are the causes of election failure.
Take, for example, the Estremadura region, where PSOE ruled for 36 of the past 40 years. Regional elections were held at the end of May this year. In Extremadura, PSOE was the most popular party, but gained as much tickets as the People's organization (28 out of 65 each). VOX obtained 5 mandates in this year's elections, which opened the way for the creation of a right-wing government [the negotiations on this issue proceed ed.].
Turning to the decline in support for socialists, the causes of the fall of PSOE are complex. Of course, agreements with Basque and Catalan separatists do not like many of its voters, even despite attempts to whitewash parties specified as Bildu – linked to delegated terrorist organizations. It included 44 members of the Marxist-Leninian terrorist group ETA convicted by final sentences on its lists. 7 of them were convicted of participating in terrorist attacks involving people killed. We should besides mention the mediocre economical situation, the extremist laws introduced to legislature by Podemos, the incomprehensible submission to Morocco and continuous corruption scandals specified as the 1 involving socialist MP Juan Bernardo Fuentes (pseudonim "Tito Berni"). He organised business dinners with socialist MPs, and after them the participants went to parties with prostitutes and cocaine. The dynamics of political life in Spain has accustomed us to the fact that all government scandal was immediately covered by another.
RB: Elections to the Cortez were to be held at the end of that year. Why did PSOE's leader decide to shorten his word and organise it in July? What does Pedro Sánchez expect, and does he have any chance to keep power?
AP: The order for early elections served respective purposes. On the 1 hand, Pedro Sánchez temporarily stopped the process of further degradation of both his own reputation and his government, while eliminating any interior criticism of weak polling results. At a gathering with socialist MPs and senators there were only smiles and applause for the leader. No one's asking for personnel changes due to the fact that the election is just around the corner. On the another hand, early elections led to the collapse of the Podemos party, which was forced into a humiliating coalition with 1 of its sects (Sumar) and lost by a divided of its most crucial leaders.
Pedro Sánchez's chances of maintaining power are very low, especially given the mediocre results of the local elections of 28 May. However, nothing can be prejudged, especially since 1 of the Prime Minister's fewer advantages is his resilience. Let us remember that Sánchez was forced to resign as PSOE's secretary-general in October 2016, charged with election fraud in the party, but in May 2017 he was re-elected as the ultimate leader of socialists. Sánchez is not going to give up, but most Spaniards are tired Sanchismo And he wants a change.
RB: Why is the People's organization now the leader of the polls, not the more expressive in its national-conservative VOX views? In 2021, it was said that the support of Santiago Abascala's organization grew and could even exceed the People's Party's ratings. Why did VOX not break through the glass ceiling in the form of a twelve percent of voters, and the Spaniards like to trust the more average People's Party?
AP: The last 40 years of democracy in Spain have been characterised by bipartisanity – 2 parties, socialists and peoples who held power in turns. Both parties established power structures with their own clienteletical networks and media on their services. Although the socialists proved to be far more proficient than the people. The fact is, even if those parties put up a monkey as a candidate, they'd inactive have millions of votes. It is so not an easy task to overcome the barrier of bipartisanism. VOX managed to become the 3rd political force in the country in just a fewer years with 15% support. The People's organization continues to promise to prosecute a policy different from the left and undo harmful solutions, but political practice shows that people take over all ideas and solutions of the left.
They accept all ideological demands of socialists: gender, feminism, climate fanaticism, etc. So the People's organization is equally guilty of the disastrous situation of Spain. The only decision that is able to change this course to the real right is the VOX party.
RB: What is more likely after the July elections – the independent power of the People's organization or the coalition with VOX? How about a number government supported by national conservatives? Will Santiago Abasca's organization agree to this? What if he does, does he not lose his clarity and lose his anti-systemic character?
AP: Given the polls, the creation of an independent government by the People's organization does not seem possible. The People's organization will so request support from VOX or a abstaining by socialists and an effort to make a number government, which is unlikely. As far as VOX is concerned, a form of support for the government of the People's organization from outside without being part of this government has already been carried out in Andalusia and Madrid. In the end, the consequence was that the People's organization had not fulfilled virtually anything of what it had assumed and had not fulfilled what was agreed with VOX. For this reason and out of respect for its constituents, the Abascala organization is considering only joining the government, as has already been the case in Castile and León, and more late in the Valentina Community or in the provincial capitals specified as Ciudad Real, Valladolid or Toledo.
RB: 2023 in Spanish politics is besides the year of the defeat of Ciudadanos, or organization of the liberal center. Until late it was the 3rd political force in Spain. In fresh local elections, she lost almost all regional councillors and announced that she would not compete in the upcoming elections to the Cortez. Why does a organization that had a fewer years ago had a twelve percent support abruptly vanish from the Spanish political scene? Who is supported by their erstwhile electorate – the People's Party? How about VOX?
AP: Ciudadanos rose to represent anti-Separatist voters who feel Spanish in Catalonia. The People's organization had done it before, and now it's done by VOX. The People's organization abandoned Hispanics from Catalonia by pacting with separatists in Madrid, as does PSOE. Hence the birth of Ciudadanos, who became the most popular organization in Catalonia.
However, the Ciudadanos organization entered national politics, forgetting where it came from and dedicated itself to uncritical pacts with the People's organization and PSOE whenever they had the chance to get closer to power. They tried to be a copy of Macron's organization in Spain, but the deficiency of a clear definition of the Pacts with the People's organization and PSOE led them to absolute pettyness. As far as erstwhile voters are concerned, most of them seem to abstain or choose the People's Party, and much little PSOE or VOX.
RB: Left suffered defeat in fresh regional elections. This is mainly mentioned in the context of the PSOE, but it is besides worth paying attention to the far-left Unidas Podemos, which has lost the majority of the Autonomous Parliaments councillors. Now the far left is going to go broad front as a Sumar coalition. What is the reason for the electoral defeat of the far left, and will the fresh expression add oxygen to it?
AP: Podemos appeared in Spanish politics with a imagination of large changes, but in addition to the considerable enrichment of organization leaders, her only accomplishment was the adoption of extremist feminist, pro-animal and "transsexual people". any of them are as tacky as the "Only That Means Yes" Act, which allowed over 1200 sex offenders to shorten their sentences – this is the communicative of feminist successes. Their leaders are increasingly disconnected from reality.
Following these disasters, the Minister of Equality, Irene Montero, liable for them, was removed from Sumar's future electoral letters. Many another leaders liable for the defeat of Podemos will besides not get a chance to get into parliament from the Sumar coalition letter.
Sumar is even more Podemos politics, but with a more friendly face and sometimes childish discourse. The declared goal of her leader Yolanda Díaz is to “make people happy”. Despite good intentions in the regional elections, the parties associated with the Sumar coalition have besides not gone well. The transfer of socialist voters from PSOE to Sumar is alternatively unlikely, and even if it does, it will not be as crucial as at the highest minute of the existence of Podemos.
RB: Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera was late exhumed. Leaders of VOX, including Hermann Tertsch and Santiago Abascal, opposed to throwing leader Falanga out of the grave. What is VOX's position on the heritage of Frankism? The People's organization has been taking a capitular stance on historical policy for years. Would VOX be able to counterbalance the communicative of the left on the Spanish civilian War and the legacy of Francisco Franco?
AP: VOX opposes the Law of historical Memory and the Law of Democratic Memory, as these are provisions that aim to re-write past so that it fits the imagination of the left. At the same time, they lead to excavating old wounds from civilian war. Exhumations are part of the rematchist performance of the left. They want to forget about the killed by the ETA, whose last fatal attack in Spain took place in 2009, but they talk regular about the killed during the Spanish civilian War. The People's organization opposed the Law of historical Memory, but did not repeal it erstwhile it ruled the absolute majority in 2011. Now it besides opposes the Law of Democratic Memory and promises to remove it. This will only be possible if VOX is her partner in the government.
We have an example of the government of Castile and León, where thanks to the VOX organization "The Piramida of Italy" it was considered a good of crucial cultural importance. It is simply a 1939 mausoleum dedicated to 384 Italian soldiers who died in civilian war, fighting on the national side. Thanks to this declaration, the pyramid was not destroyed in accordance with the Law of Democratic Memory. It is besides known that the fresh Government of the Community of Valencia intends to repeal the local Democratic Memorial Law. The opposition took place in the People's organization of the Community of Madrid, which was self-ruled. The People's Government ignored VOX's requests to recognise the Valley of the Deceased as a good of cultural importance, which would prevent what is happening now.
photo: wikipedia.commonsRB: What does changing the governing organization to the People's organization mean for Poland? We know that VOX politicians have frequently favoured Poland and its current power. What about the People's Party?
AP: In this case too, the decisive origin is VOX, which belongs to the same European group as the Law and Justice, i.e. to the European Conservatives and Reformists. VOX publically showed sympathy for the Polish government and the policy to reduce illegal immigration. Prime Minister Morawiecki was even a guest of the event Viva 22 organized by VOX last October.
One cannot forget that the Polish partner of the People's organization is the Civic Platform. Incidentally, in April 2022. González Pons was appointed by Alberto Nēez Feijóo as Deputy Secretary for organization and global People's organization Affairs. It is not hard to imagine the relation of the independent government of the People's organization with the current Polish government.
RB: any Polish right-wingers see a chance to change power in your country, announce prematurely that ,,Spain wakes up.” Do you think that in Spain there is simply a conservative worldview return, or is it inactive dominated by leftist views? What is the Spanish youth? Are there any prospects for a right-wing reflection not only in politics but throughout society?
AP: Spanish society has been dominated by left-wing reasoning for decades and in fact the only difference between different governments was the applicable application of this ideology. Over the years, in many ways the People's organization became the same as PSOE. However, the attempted coup in Catalonia, which took place in 2017, brought a violent awakening. Thousands of Spanish flags hung in windows or balconies, even in the most leftist districts. The national flag, which has so far been displayed only for sporting events, began to be proudly exhibited. More and more people were no longer afraid of being called fascists for arrogant flag-wearing. This led to a increasing interest in the past of Spain, followed by the publication of many books and films specified as The First Globalisation. It is simply a documentary movie that overthrows anti-Spanish historical lies, dementing the alleged Black Legend. It was the most watched movie in Spanish cinemas in 2021, yet it was not awarded by leftist artists from our movie academy.
In 2018, VOX entered the Andalusian parliament and provoked a political earthquake. Since then, the debates that the left deemed closed have been reopened. Furthermore, radicalism, nonsense and lies of the last 4 years of left-wing regulation have further strengthened this response. Young people, despite a strategy of education ignoring past and continually bombing left-wing ideology, are a fundamental part of this change. Especially young men. In fact, VOX is the most popular organization among people aged 18-24 – it is besides a favourite among young people voting for the first time.
Is Spain awake? The fact is, we have a long drive ahead of us and many battles to roll, but I think we do. I believe that more and more Spaniards are waking up from this utopian dream surrounded by beautiful slogans specified as “progress”, “love” or “equality”. Today, more and more Spaniards see that they have been deceived, and this beautiful dream is actually a nightmare leading to submission and poorness throughout the country.
RB: ¡Mus gracias por la entrevista!
