Complex situations for confusing moments. Nothing new under the sun. Do you remember ‘turnism’? That political system that used the Bourbon Restoration, from the end of the 19th century until well into the 20th century, to consolidate its power and limit political pluralism; Well, if you don’t remember it because you haven’t lived it, at least you will remember it because you studied it in the History of Spain books. They indicated that there was an alternation in the government of two parties, the conservative party of Cánovas and the liberal party of Sagasta, which took turns in power after successive political crises and due to the wear and tear of the ruling party, whether due to economic problems. . or corruption.
As they told them, nothing new under the sun. However, now, in this political mess that we suffer in the 21st century, some false “new” parties participate in this colorful chaos in the distribution of the electoral cake: nationalists and separatists, left-wing and right-wing extremists; They all mean the same thing, but apply different nuances to achieve some semblance of political variety to the offering. That is, when someone picks up one ballot or another before throwing it into the ballot box, they believe that it is different and can distinguish their vote more than usual.
If we start to compare usual situations – Koldo above, Koldo below – we will discover that the current level of discussion leaves much to be desired, since in Congress there is no debate about politics, or economics, or any other government measure worth mentioning that may interest citizens. Now, there is only talk of new electoral campaigns. Since Sánchez came to power we have been in a campaign without respite. At least the latter are firm, even if they are excessive. Three votes in just three months!! Take it now, there is no one who can stand this: Basque Country and Catalonia -April and May-, and Europeans in June. A feeling and excessive spending, both economic and emotional, and everything you want that, as always, we will end up paying and suffering ourselves.
But let’s get to the crux of the matter. The new ‘turnism’ or electoral alternation that Spanish democracy has experienced implicitly, but unwritten since 1976, is based on the fact that the Spanish usually always grant two terms of office to the president and the party in power, except for the exception that confirms the rule of Felipe González who served three consecutive terms from 1982 to 1996. The other presidents, starting with Adolfo Suárez, José María Aznar, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero and Mariano Rajoy have all managed to revalidate their terms “only” twice.
It is not a written rule, nor even imagined in the collective memory, but the Spaniards, seen in these years of democracy, have the peculiar habit of allowing the presidents of the Government to remain in power for a maximum of eight years – two terms – . and then they vote at the polls with the aim of taking over with another party and another president of a different ideology.
It is a kind of false ‘turnismo’ between the right and the left, which works tacitly and tactically, although not explicit in any legislative statute or in the Spanish Constitution. Aznar himself announced that he was retiring from politics at the age of eight, and his wife, Rajoy, who seemed to have everything in his favor to win the elections, lost them because of 11-M. Then Zapatero would fall resoundingly after two critical and disastrous terms.
Now, with Pedro Sánchez in the Government in a second term, and after the motion of censure presented by himself in 2018, and his subsequent pact “in extremis” and with amnesty included with Puigdemont in the 2023 elections, it will be necessary to check whether The golden rule of giving way to another party and another president is confirmed or, on the other hand, the current leader of the PSOE manages to break that dynamic and manages to repeat a third term. Something that will not be easy at all given the situation and the limited support that the Government has, which has not even been able to present its new Budgets due to lack of acceptance.
Although it is true that there are several years ahead, it does not seem easy for the partners of the Frankenstein Government to be able to renew their commitments in the future given the new political circumstances that are approaching. Regardless of whether Pedro Sánchez can remain in power or not, what we are talking about is the electoral future that is looming in the face of the next general elections that will arrive in 2027 at the latest. What will happen then?
Or rather, what will be, will be (whatever will be, will be), as Doris Day would say. It is true that there is a lot of fabric left to cut and a lot of history to live, or not, who knows; but from my ‘annoying opinion’ I suggest to Spanish society that we maintain the success achieved until now of giving a maximum of two terms to the presidents who pass through Moncloa, whether they are from the right or the left or half-pensioners; That is, we know how to alternate electoral support so that one party or another governs us but never the same political faction for more than eight years. It is good that this happens, not for the good of politicians, but for the relief and prosperity of all citizens.
That said, if a ruler knows that his term lasts at most eight years – Koldo up, Koldo down – he will take care and worry about doing more and better his political functions without thinking so much about electoral issues or biased polls. If a president knows that no matter what he does, he will only be able to serve two terms, he will not worry so much about what the opposition and the voters will say, and will worry about doing what he must to achieve the proper functioning of his country and the well-being of his people. neighbors. With the aim of passing, perhaps, who knows, to the future for some worthy and honest reason.
This measure of limiting presidential terms seems so necessary to me so that the common good can be mainly promoted, which should be established by law and so that it appears as a constitutional requirement in the elections for president of the Government. More than eight years in power with a single person as the sole boss is too long, even for those assumptions that politicians are good. Commanding is exhausting and exhausting, let alone if you spend more than eight years in a weighty position such as being president of a Government.
We know Lord Acton’s famous phrase: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Therefore, it is preferable to take a risk and demand that a good statesman leave the Government in a second term, allowing that “good” politician to risk becoming corrupt by governing for more years than he should. Every human being is affected by San Martín and is mentally affected by having to live in an anomalous situation such as being supreme president of a country for a long period of time.
Simple examples of some presidential oddities: everyone around you stands at attention in your presence; your decisions are authoritative and unquestionable, no one dares to cough at you; You don’t have to stop at traffic lights or drive at normal speed; Everyone flatters you and you end up believing that you are the best, and many more things that we imagine even if we don’t say them. And so, it is impossible not to become a little foolish, to put it mildly.
Finally, my main suggestion is that if there is any intelligent politician left in this national wasteland, please call a double referendum to clarify two essential questions: Do you want amnesty for Puigdemont and the independence movement? And two, do you want the presidents of the Government to have a single mandate of two terms? If the people are so sovereign, as the Constitution and politicians say, they should also have the opportunity to speak out on such fundamental issues that affect them in a special way.
