And now, elections again. As a consequence of the results of the municipal and regional elections of 28-M, the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has decided to dissolve the Cortes Generales and call elections for July 23. The reaction has been quick and transparent: it was not about hiding or belittling the PSOE's setback at the local and regional level. It was necessary to acknowledge receipt of the message from the electorate and to satisfy the claim repeatedly expressed by the opposition demanding the immediate calling of elections. Well then, we are already on it!
The truth is that this call offers the opportunity to clarify some issues that have been hovering over the country's political and social environment. For example, if this gibberish of Podemos, Sumar, Más, Comunes and a long etcetera ends up establishing a framework of confluence and, on the other hand, lands in a more pragmatic and coherent reality with the dimension recognized by the electorate. Provoking confrontations as a testimony of existence does not solve anything nor is it revolutionary. It simply serves to weaken, generate instability, favor social setbacks and feed the most radical positions of the opposing political options. And this is urgent.
One of the problems that the called elections can cause is the definition of a highly polarized sociopolitical scenario. Two confronted blocks whose programmatic baggage is none other than preventing the other block from winning. It does not matter what is said, but who says it. What the other says is a catastrophic error, without the need to propose anything; we have enough avoiding or getting the other not to win. And for now it seems that what will be dominant in the electoral campaign will be to attack the internal alliances of each block. The extremes will dominate the landscape or, in any case, can dominate it.
This scenario had been taking place for a long time, but this time it is more evident than ever. The vote of fear will be appealed without shame. And fear will focus on the partners that could form future government coalitions. And this is not good.
But, appealing for an attitude that moves away from this confrontational scenario can be as well-intentioned as it is useless. In spite of everything, what will be worthwhile now is to remember that none of the big problems that we have raised can renounce the support of broad political and – very fundamental – social and civic majorities. And, furthermore, the will to achieve a new framework for public-private collaboration, now non-existent. Social spending will grow and inequality will be experienced with increasing intolerance. And the administrations will not be able to do by themselves everything that society demands.
New bases of relationship between the public sector and the initiative of individuals must be established. Without this, for example, the social housing policy will not advance; the deficit will persist and the projection of this situation in collective coexistence will be very serious, very present, very debilitating of stability.
The general elections are here. It is not worth arguing if they arrive at a good time. What if Europe, what if the heat (!). They are here and some of those who criticize him claimed them one day and the other as well. Now we have to face it and that's it. And, despite everything, seize the opportunity to stop the trend towards a confrontation that, surely, harms us all. Blocks usually block. History reminds us.
