Just days before Election Day, PSOE remains in complete disagreement regarding strategy. Zapatero has put his party under such political sway throughout the legislative term that many Socialists no longer know where they stand. PSOE began its legislative term attracting the anti-system vote, which gave the party an unexpected triumph in March 2004. It tried to turn towards the center when it realized that the failure of its negotiations with ETA as well as its parliamentary alliance with radical independentists had scared away its own moderate voters. But last-minute signs of electoral nerves have finally pushed Zapatero to choose irritation and insults as his sole strategy, as he himself has involuntarily admitted to his friend Gabilondo. In the process, many Socialists have gotten lost and no longer know where they stand along the spectrum of radicalism, insulting the opponent, or plain irritation (what they call tension).

 

In addition to generating disagreement among its own ranks, the constant discourse and strategy change has caused Zapatero to lose political initiative. This is something a Government can never allow, especially in a pre-electoral period. All issues up for debate have been brought to the table by the Popular Party. PSOE is reluctant to debate and has no proposals of its own to offer its citizens. Moreover, in issues such as immigration, the Socialists have abandoned their own unjustified, initial critiques which promoted racism and xenophobia, once it became clear the majority of society was in agreement with the Integration Contract proposed by Rajoy.

 

Zapatero has placed his party on the defensive. The lack of political initiative has turned Socialist candidates into mere defenders of Zapatero’s nefarious (not innocuous) policies. They have come up with the oddest of explanations to justify bad economic data and mistakes committed by the leader throughout the legislative term. Even worse, many Socialist leaders reproach in silence that Zapatero did not call for an early election in attempts to avoid the current crisis becoming so evident. But they forget that for an “anthropological” optimist such as Z, the future can never be worse than the past.

 

While the economic crisis appears to be unstoppable, the PSOE members are forced to watch while their leader refuses to use the party’s acronym, and still continue attempts to vindicate him. Zapatero has chosen a negative campaign, seeking to mobilize the anti-system vote as he did in 2004. In order to be successful, it is essential to demonize the Popular Party, the Church, the companies, and all stereotypes invented by the antiquated European Left. This strategy is likely to backfire as the Spanish citizenry is becoming increasingly tired of politicians who merely insult and denigrate the opponent, without offering a single constructive idea of their own.

 

In an open scenario such as the present one, the electoral campaign is going to have a decisive influence in the selection of the next Government of Spain. I am sure that Spaniards will value Rajoy’s political initiative; they will value the solutions presented by the Popular Party to solve the real problems Spaniards confront; and they will observe with growing perspective how Zapatero plunges into his own well filled with irritation, into his pond filled with tension and drama. The question is no longer if the Popular Party can win. The Popular Party is going to win the next elections because it is the best thing for Spain and all Spaniards.

 

©2008 Translated by Miryam Lindberg