Interview Radio Slovenia
December 2015
[Transcripción en lengua inglesa de la entrevista]
1. What do you think will be the decisive topic for the elections? Fear of terrorism, the economy, the future of Spain in regard to the position of the regions (especially Catalonia)?
I think the decisive topic for the elections will be the economy… The terrorism from ETA is ended, and, in this moment, the Islamic terrorism is perceived as something remote in regard to everyday life…
Do you know? We have a lot of experience about attacks, from ETA and from Islamic fundamentalism, and now it is something not very important for the people.
And the Catalonia troubles are only a real worry and a decisive topic inside Catalonia. The rest of people in Spain are not too worried about this subject… In fact, I think most people are very tired of this, even in Catalonia… So that the most important and decisive topic will be the economy, not even the corruption, except for a minority, I’m afraid.
2. What is the main contribution of the new parties Podemos and Ciudadanos? Where is their policy different that the policy of PP and PS? How will their presence change the policy of Spain?
The new parties, Podemos and Ciudadanos, have rocked the policy in Spain; that’s true, but they are two very different cases… The beginnings and the source are very diverse.
Podemos is the result of the general and popular movement of the May 15th, the indignados movement.
And Ciudadanos is like a trick, a kind of artificial creation, a setting-up from the current political system, from their medias, their banks, their great companies, financial capital and the bureaucracy of the traditional parties, all together against Podemos… Because of Podemos is the real enemy of this system of general corruption…
Podemos got to terrify and intimidate the bipartidism system a year ago. They are a threat for the system.
And this is the only reason that Ciudadanos, a small organization from Catalonia, became the state force and this incredible electoral machine it is today… In only six months.
By contrast Podemos is an independent organization from economic and financial system… They have not any credits; they did not accept any money from them. This is the essential aspect of the question.
For that reason, I think, the option of Podemos is a very different option; it is another kind of social and political phenomenon, it has built from down to up…
We can say that Podemos has rocked the system, and Ciudadanos has arrived to reinforce the ancient system in danger of collapse.
3. What are the chances of success of these parties? (Podemos is very connected to Greek Syriza, which has won the elections. Does that mean anything in Spain?)
The social and political factors and economical context of Spain now is different to Greece so near the breakdown.
Podemos fights now for the third place in these general elections. This is the most realistic way of seeing their chances, I think.
The reaction of the bipartidism has been powerful; they have used all kind of means and tricks… And the Medias control is practically total… Internet, yes… The Web and the alternative Medias is the only tool they have… Whatever it was the result, Podemos has changed the social and political landscape in Spain.
However Ciudadanos can get the second place, it depends of the final results of Socialist Party, and the reaction in the last moment of the Popular Party electorate as well.
4. Spain still has big economic problems. Where did the government of Rajoy fail? (And maybe, what did it do right?)
The economic policy of the Rajoy government has achieved apparently the balance of the deficit, but only apparently… The result of this restrictive policy is already too known… injustice, an unacceptable social inequality and an enormous and unsustainable external debt.
The next government will find a very difficult situation; the welfare state, in Spain, like in Europe, has been seriously damaged… In fact it has been destructed.
5. Do you see any similarity between these elections and the elections in 2004, after March 11th terror attack?
Then, I remember very well, the March 11th was a general commotion, but the rage especially was by the lies of Aznar government about the authors of the attack… Now it is different, in these elections the terrorism does not affect the climate of the electoral campaign at the moment, at least… The world climate crisis neither does, only the economic policy.
6. How will the elections affect the future of Catalonia?
These elections are relatively indifferent for the process in Catalonia, because the new government will keep essentially the same policy about this matter, and the Europe Union is not going to change most probably its points of view about this.
Not even in Catalonia there is a consensus about the steps ahead…
They have a President indicted of corruption, and the main nationalist right party also convicted of the same cause… The nationalist wing left remains quite divided, with an anti-capitalist organization (CUP) that wouldn’t want to support the ancient regime and justify so the general corruption in Catalonia nowadays…
And, don’t forget, almost the fifty five percent of Catalonian people are against the independence.
It is not an easy situation. That’s true.
7. 40 years after Franco’s death: is there still a cult of Franco in Spain?
Absolutely no… Few nostalgic people keep this cult, but this is something residual… The worst is the sociological Franquism that remains among us, especially among the Popular Party electorate; a lot of them feel like a real heritage the Franquism’s legacy.
This is the true positive worth of Ciudadanos Party; they are the new right, without ties, neither links with the Franquism’s legacy… In this aspect is very different to Popular Party.