Whatever the outcome of Spain’s political crisis, one can safely say that the Spanish political class has not covered itself in glory.
The context and manner of Mr Rayoy’s exit from the Spanish Congress after suffering a motion of no confidence by a majority of lawmakers was preceded by proven cases of corruption at the highest level of his own party, an abject failure to show statesmanship on the Catalan question, and an inability to listen to or engage with other parties , including his ad-hoc coalition partner Ciudadanos , in the run-up to today’s vote with any semblance of appreciation of what represented the common good.
Rayoy has conducted his premiership with scarce respect for the opinion polls, let alone the verdict of voters. There has been a haemorrhaging of support for his party across Spain, showing that his government’s achievement in pulling Spain back from the brink of economic collapse and a massive EU bail-out has long since been overshadowed and superseded by a generalised feeling of deep malaise, with all trust squandered.
Even as he stubbornly clung to power during the debate preceding the vote against him, Rajoy put on a pitiful performance. He showed no sense of contrition for past mistakes and chose instead to defensively insult the opposition socialist leader Pedro Sanchez as an anti-patriot and opportunist , rather than recognising that the motion of no confidence expressed a much broadly shared sense of disillusionment , if not outrage with his government and its inability to engage in meaningful dialogue and compromise.
To the extent that Rajoy’s defeat was preceded by his latest statement of arrogance , and turned into an act of humiliation, it was in stark contrast to the departure of Real Madrid Zinedine Zidane, a day earlier, when the French born coach quit with humility, dignity, and an honourable and honoured track record.
For now, the political manoeuvrings behind Rajoy’s defeat and immediate outcome raises questions as to what kind of political future Spain faces in the short to medium term. The motion of no confidence was supported by law makers defending their own party and nationalist interests even if these dovetailed in the moment of voting with a shared desire to put an end to Rajoy and his government for the greater good of a majority.
Among those who voted against Rajoy were Catalan law makers who support independence, the radical left Podemos, and Basque nationalists. As for Pedro Sanchez, if he takes on now the premiership, he lacks sufficient political legitimacy, with his party hugely diminished since its own years in government which were hardly a paragon of virtue.
This is not to understate the potential historic importance of today’s vote, the first Spanish prime-minister since the restoration of democracy to be so brought down in such a devastating way.
It suggests Spain may have reached a political fin de siècle, with the end of the PP’s and the socialist party’s dominance of the political process, potentially paving the way for much needed radical reform of Spain’s constitution and dialogue over Catalonia.
Spain is in urgent need not only of mediation and reconciliation, but of much greater political transparency and accountability, with a priority being that of finding an imaginative consensual solution to Catalonia which works in the interest of the region, the country, and Europe.
In the short-term, new elections may be necessary to get a fresh measure of Spain’s shifting political landscape and where there are new spaces for compromise or a change of direction. One can only hope that the next vote Spaniards are called to cast will translate into a new and widely respected prime-minister, capable of governing in a way that builds bridges rather than walls, while ensuring the political and economic stability of this important European nation. Spain needs to vote in a a statesman with integrity-and that’s quite a challenge.
