I cross half of Catalonia and the fields are green, thanks to the moisture from the dew at the end of winter and the rains of the past few days. The seeds come out and the leaves and flowers sprout on the trees. It is the landscape, not exuberant, but early spring. However, if it has been the warmest winter in at least a century and a half, according to the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet); in the last quarter it has rained a quarter of normal in the Mediterranean area and the forecasts are for a warmer than usual spring and, after all, with the usual rains, there is no indication that the drought, which would need much more water.
So, what kind of landscape will there be in Catalonia on May 12, the date of the regional elections? Surely the green will then turn yellow in most of the territory; of course, the snow will have disappeared from the peaks, without filling the reservoirs as it should. A landscape and climate more June than May. Can this landscape influence the votes?
If it was the usual for the time of year, certainly not, but if you remember that the drought can get worse... Will the drought influence the polls more than other ideological or sectoral issues? Will environmental awareness increase? Will citizens vote against the party that manages the Government for not building in advance infrastructure that could alleviate this drought?
Will they punish him for the water restrictions? In case industry has more water than the countryside – which adds up to complaints beyond the climate – or if tourism has more than domestic consumers. Will only one party be blamed and exempt others who have had and still have responsibilities in the central, regional and municipal administration these years?
The non-approval of the budget for 2024 leaves 1,045 million euros in the air intended for measures against the drought, which included everything from aid to farmers to municipalities to fix leaks in pipelines or other actions. The Government can process part of the measures. The projects of the two desalination plants were, for the time being, undertaken by the central government, whose budget is also being extended this year. It will be necessary to see how much is spent and how. And how much it influences voters.
