At every turn, Spanish politics are becoming more toxic than the virus that’s caused a pandemic. Day after day, ever since the beginning of this bleak September, the stream of news about the rise in contagion and deaths has been aggravated by the deplorable spectacle of political discord, of inefficiency working hand in hand with partisanship, of a frivolous irresponsibility that is slowly mutating into criminal negligence.
Spanish politics are as destructive as the coronavirus itself. A vaccine against the virus will be found, and palliative care will improve; but there seems to be no remedy against the Spanish poison of finger-in-the-eye politics. Scientists tell us that our country has greater vulnerabilities than others. Epidemiologists compare figures that place Spain at the top of the European list in terms of coronavirus cases, deaths, infected healthcare workers. International economic institutions warn that our recession is going to be deeper than in any other European Union country. Our economy had not contracted this much since the Civil War (1936-1939). An entire generation’s future is on hold because nobody knows whether schools will remain open.
