Spanish Elections April 30, 2019
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Uncategorized.trackback
Although the Vox result wasn’t great, it was less awful than expected – perhaps that will change. Interesting to see Ciudanos being feted as the possible replacement to the PP as the right of centre formation in Spain. Anyone who has followed the history of that latter party would I suspect find even Ciudanos a marginal improvement. The PSOE is for many of us far too mild a party but good to see it pushing back against Vox in Andalucía.
It is interesting to ask where it went wrong for Podemos – destined it would appear for government, but their broad coalition beaten back substantially from their 2016 figure. Though, and I raise this cautiously, I cannot help but think, having seen the posters, that the PSOE benefited greatly from their leader’s photogenic looks. That may seem trivial, and it is on any political level, but I wonder how much of an assist it gave.
The Cedar Lounge Revolution 
I was struck by footage of the main leaders’ debate, with three clean-cut young men in suits, and then the Podemos leader. Personally, I’d have seen that as a useful contrast, but what do I know about Spanish voters? The equally photogenic leader of Ciudadanos posed naked for his election leaflets a few years ago – is that a route we want Irish party leaders to follow?
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“is that a route we want Irish party leaders to follow?”
Argh! Please no! anything but that!
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In a previous life I suggested to a councillor whom I helped get elected that when his motion to build the changing rooms at the council’s sports ground was implemented, he arrange for a press photograph of him taking the inaugural shower.
(Tastefully, from behind looking over his shoulder, of course.)
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Podemos has a problem in that a) it’s not the latest thing – late capitalist electoral politics seems to demand a new party every election at least. And b) there were internal ructions. I was personally surprised that they held up as well as the did but then I’m a pessimistic bollix at times.
Remember that the meeja in Spain were doing exactly what they always do – allow the Farages, Caseys, AfDs and Ligas to frame the campaign with their issues.
The PP and Cuidadanos went with this, tried to out-Vox Vox and in total lost. PSOE and Podemos Unidos made resistance to this creeping fascism the centre of their campaigning and gained.
That, I think, is the central lesson of the election.
Also it was hopeful that a high turnout was achieved, partly by anti-fascist mobilisation of left voters, I suspect.
I’ve no idea whether Sanchez’s looks contributed.
Oh and kudos the the data representation from the Graun – very well done I thought. It shows just how diverse Spain is.
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Yes – the Valencian nationalists, Compromis, we’re allied to Podemos in 2016, but fell out with them this time, while there were also splits with the affiliates in Galicia (En Marea) and Madrid (Ahora, led by Errejon). Also, one of the Catalan leaders formed his own pro-independence party, which went beyond the official Podemos position.
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Does anyone know any good English language sources for politics in the Basque Country and Catalonia? I used to follow a couple of good Iberian group blogs that were up-to-date with that information, especially around election times, but both have gone dormant.
I know that the Basque nationalists in PNV and EH Bildu increased their combined seats to 10. And that Catalan independence parties won 22 seats, a record I think and on a high turnout? 4 of these deputies are still in prison, which brings to mind our own 1918 election.
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I don’t, it’s something I’d be very interested in. And what about blogs about Andulucian republican and left politics? And actually what about republicanism in Spain – I wonder how much force that has now.
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There is also Galicia which has a lot of interesting cultural stuff too.
The two blogs were great sources, and there was a Breton one too, but blogging is to the internet what newspapers are to TV. Old technology 😕
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Podemos is the only party that is openly republican – the Socialists have supported the status quo since Gonzalez took office, so while some members might want to abolish the monarchy, it’s unlikely to ever become an official position.
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Traditionally, pro-independence voters have stayed away from Spanish GE polls in both regions, but the triple alliance threat to curb regional autonomy saw turnout hugely increase, and indeed, even Cantabria elected a pro-autonomy deputy. Two useful graphs – one on turnout (click on the Spanish map for regional breakdown), and the other on vote transfers.
https://resultados.eleccionesgenerales19.es/Avances/Total-nacional/0/es
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