The Burden

Ballast has several meanings: the first is what is used to increase weight and provide stability in ships and hot air balloons; the second, figuratively, refers to something that hinders progress. As you can understand, in politics, we are witnessing a burdened Government for several reasons; two stand out above the rest: corruption and ineptitude.

Discussing or writing about the alleged corruption cases surrounding the Sánchez government and the PSOE could fill this article with more than 700 words, and perhaps I would run out of space. This is a Government that burdens the country, its international image. Just look at the increase in articles referring to them, and the details provided there. All this description leads us to think that we were in the hands of those who cared little or nothing for the nation, Spain, and only wanted to enrich themselves at any cost. As shameless as those who gave them enough votes to seize power. By the way, among these, the mishmash of far-right, far-left, supremacist, racist, and posh parties are equally culpable, albeit for different reasons.

The ineptitude is evident: they have come to cover for their leader. To divide the pie in various ways, from appointing friends, relatives, lovers, wives, brothers, that is, true nepotism. But above all, not doing what one must do when one has a responsibility, to maintain and improve what was given. No need to mention the trains, zero maintenance; no need to mention the blackout, zero maintenance; no need to mention SEPE, zero maintenance; no need to mention Health (well, here the competence is transferred to the autonomies, and it is unclear what is better) where the news in summer is bleak. But, yes, there is a minister who is very concerned about resale and very concerned about advertising. We can feel fortunate. At least, there is one who cares about us a little (who would have thought, we settle for so little), although it is initially useless and does not improve our lives.

It is clear that this country cannot continue with a Government that is a burden for a large social majority, no matter how much the CIS wants to sell us otherwise. We have a president who is more outside than inside the country, knowing he cannot step in because he will be booed. He goes abroad because he needs to distance himself from the supreme entanglement he knows he has. The ball has grown so large that he knows it will overwhelm him, he tries to extend the time but cannot escape his destiny. When this happens, a party with 140 years of history will disappear. It is happening around the world, and we are not immune, it always takes time to arrive but it does.

Early general elections are the only decent way out for this country, which many of us love and a few despise. The problem is that those few are the ones who govern us, and that is where the crux of the matter lies. And finally, we have a character who may be very good at what he does and a great strategist in politics but is someone comparable to the sinister Dominic Cummings, a prominent figure in Brexit that the English are so regretting. Spain needs leaders who believe in their country, who understand and make others understand its cultural plurality and that this fact enriches us. We need a political and media reset because the rest is more normalized than these people think. We need leaders who understand that personal freedom is important, that even if you think differently, you are not an enemy to be defeated.

Finally, we will continue to peacefully and democratically express political ideas and aspirations. Different thinking from the official one, although it is pointed out and immediately attacked, can still be shown and disseminated. I am concerned about all those who believe, from one side or the other, that the different ideology, sex, race, or religion is the enemy to be defeated. Extremes are overrated and harmful to everyday life, but for politics, they are deadly. The task, once Sánchez's government is ousted from power, will be tremendous, all institutions will need to be cleansed of sectarians and other weeds.