While we wait for the daisy to finally fall and we know if there will be Pedro Sánchez's investiture in November or new elections in January, the political debate (if it can be called a debate), like the planet, is gradually raising its temperature. In democracy, politics requires a permanent contrast of ideas and programs between its various actors. And from different positions, inherent to a plural society, on the main issues the agreement that can best serve the common good must be sought, through cooperation, dialogue, negotiation and transaction. Doing so, also, keeping and respecting the forms. However, it does not seem that today these are the currencies that guide political praxis nor that it is assumed that their absence will result in a progressive weakening of democracy.
It is often stated that our society is polarized and tense. And to a certain extent this is the case (in some places more than in others), but the greatest responsibility does not lie with the citizens, but with a considerable part of the current political leaders. These are the ones who have strained her with their gestures, their words and their behaviors. A democratic society requires that its representatives be able to listen to each other, respect each other, and address their differences calmly. When, on the contrary, as is currently the case, what dominates is contempt and insult, the result makes impossible the necessary cooperation that the pursuit of the common interest requires. And, consequently, it corrodes the obligatory duty to share, live with those who are different and learn from them.
Democracy is based on trust and if no one trusts anyone, as is happening today, a distrust of citizens towards their political representatives is unleashed. This prevents anything from being built in common, which in turn causes a progressive erosion of institutions and democracy itself, thus sowing the seeds of anti-political discourses, a prelude to populism and authoritarianism. This is how democracies die today!
While one curses and denies what some pejoratively call the “regime of 78”, the transition and the Constitution that emanated from it, the notion is lost – I think it is precisely what some are pursuing – that they have been the basic pillars of the best decades of coexistence, progress, peace and... self-government for the various national realities that coexist in Spain. And decades of democracy, of course!
The effort that many put – expressly or tacitly – into denying these pillars should be replaced by recovering and perfecting the values that have made this reality possible. Diversity must be respected and encouraged; regain moderation; flee from simplification (enough of reducing plurality to fascists or terrorists; to traitors or purists...), and, as I said, listen to each other much more, sitting at the table of dialogue and not sheltering behind the tweet that provokes accusations and responses without need to motivate them.
Robert Schuman said that “democracy is a constant creation.” Or, in other words, lifelong learning. The driving energy of this constant creation, of this learning, emanates from the citizens and when citizens, because of politics, lose sensitivity to the risk of ruining democracy itself, it runs out of energy and slowly goes out. And I fear that is what is happening to us.
