Alberto Feijóo attacked the Government of Pedro Sanchez and its continuing corruption scandals, pledging to recover what he termed “clean democracy”. Speaking at El Español´s Economic Forum “Wake Up Spain!”, Partido Popular Leader Alberto Feijóo took the opportunity to celebrate the victory in Hungary of Peter Magyar for moderate conservatives.
In a speech heavy on international themes , Feijóo stated that the Government of Pedro Sanchez has gone “against the European Union” with its regularisation of immigrants in Spain and at a moment when Sanchez is visiting China, state that there are the camps of Democracy and Dictatorship before finishing with praise for Venzuelan María Corina Machado, currently visiting Madrid.
“The social contract is unjust” – Alberto Feijóo
At the national level, Feijóo was critical of the government´s attempt to place an increasing fiscal burden on the self employed “Autónomos are not asking for privileges, merely the right to work” whilst also briefly mentioning in passing the inability of younger Spaniards to become independent, without offering any actual proposal to change that.
MiM Analysis – The (ageing) elephant in the room
Although at a regional level PP are trouncing PSOE in successive regional elections, a national breakthough is far from certain. Polling suggests that although a 4% point lead over PSOE exists, that wouldn´t be enough without Vox and even that lead could be eaten into during a campaign.
Yesterday Sir Bernard Jenkin MP spoke about the need to be blunt and honest with the public on defence but this level of bluntness still eludes Spanish politics. Although the inability of Spanish people to have children (what should arguably be the number one concern for a conservative party) got a throwaway line, the biggest elephant in the room was left untouched.
On the domestic level, there is still no bravery or ability for anyone within Spanish politics to mention that the current pension system is completely unsustainable. As Spain moves towards a situation where there are only 2 workers for every pensioner, the complete lack of courage to point out that for immigration to be reduced or a welfare state to survive (something Feijóo professed to want) the selfish generation need to stop eating their children and unborn (because who can afford them) grandchildren.
If we were near an election it may be understandable but the fact that, at perhaps Spain´s most notable economic forum, it could not be mentioned by the man who may rule the country is a sign of the moral bankruptcy at the heart of European Politics. We all know why in terms of the electoral arithmetic , PP may stand for Partido Popular in Spanish but a more honest english translation would be Pensioners Party.
Saturn will continue devouring his children until morale improves it seems and for those of a conservative (not liberal) disposition , the contract between the dead, living and yet to be has been torn up so one post war (or in Spain´s case post transition) generation can gorge themselves at the expense of both.
As per usual, the worthies were spoken to after the event but Feijóo might have done better to speak to the young girl serving the coffee. Working 7-7 this week, it´s hard to see what was in that speech for her.
Spanish politics feels trapped, swing voters replaced by a monolith of grasping pensioners on the side of PSOE and PP. Whereas those who have to pay for them (the young and working class voters) are jumping to Vox. If Feijóo cannot take the opportunity in a non national election year to even consider grasping the poisonous nettle, it´s hard to see how anything can change.