It has already been two months since latest general elections (28th of April) and the Socialist Party (PSOE) cannot settle to form a national government. In this desert of political compromise, the majority obtained by the right-wing parties in Madrid seemed to be an oasis. The capital city would be their stronghold. However, the Madrid oasis was no more than a mirage. The three parties united until Vox retired from the negotiations. For most of the country, this was another move from Abascal’s extremist part. In my opinion there is a lesson to be learned from Vox’s actions.
This party surfaced from nonconforming with the existing right wing, but also against the uses and costumes of politics. One of the universal critiques to this class are its speeches that please both God and the devil in which they pledge to serve the people, only then to distribute positions amongst friends. On the contrary, Vox presented itself as an extremely transparent and coherent party, noble attitudes with now undermine as “politically incorrect” for being unfashionable.
In the words of Felipe González: “Vox has too much liberty to express the depth of its feelings”. Casting a vote is an act of trust, and knowing “the depth”, we can be sure we are not being lied to. But it is understandable that self-named “old politician” does not get the new ways of politics. Consequently, in its new document Vox no longer asks for positions or seats in the Madrid Government, but makes it clear they “come to defend ideas”. Much is said of the Historic Memory to criticize them, but if we see the literal meaning of the expression, let us not forget what all the political parties in history were created for: defending ideas.
Cuidadanos seems to agree with this, since they have no intention of negotiating with Vox. Ignacio Aguado has stated that his principles and those of his party are above a government. However, it would be nice to know which those are. In the campaign, they positioned in the right wing, posed at the Colón photo and even intended to lead the opposition. Today they act as if they did not know what Abascal’s party proposed and have an open inner crisis about opposing, abstaining or settling with Pedro Sánchez. With what moral authority do they stand, when they cannot differentiate if they are oranges or mandarins themselves.
Vox is not Abascal, Espinosa de los Monteros, Monasterio or Ortega Smith. Vox are over 2.6 million people tired of being lied to, of filling their seats and varying their ideas to whatever direction the wind blows to. Vox has not come to play musical chairs; neither delay its ideas for possible future agreements. They have already said what and how they want to do things.
Like it or not, this party is teaching the rest a lesson: voters must defended, not seats. The electors are the creditors, not the debtors. And they can be only secured through coherence. Perhaps, for Henry IV, Paris was worth a mass, yet for Monasterio, Madrid is not worth a chair.
