Supporters of the idea that Esperanza Aguirre should contest the leadership of the Partido Popular (PP) have in recent days energetically launched the cause of improving internal democracy in their party. They call for the introduction of a system of primaries in the PP, permitting ordinary party members to directly elect the leader of the party without leaving such matters for party congresses. Ever eager to help in such situations, South of Watford presents today a case study demonstrating the appalling lack of internal democracy that currently prevails in the PP.The case study begins by selecting a region on which to focus, so let’s spin the Wheel of Political Fortune! A… B… C… D… E… F… G… H… I… J… K… L… M… Ma… Mad… Madrid, the wheel has stopped on Madrid. Lucky for Murcia. Our study has as its principal exhibit the electoral process used to elect the current president of the PP in Madrid. Travelling back in time we find ourselves in the autumn of 2004 as the election of the president of the PP for the region of Madrid gets closer. The candidates can be identified as E.A. and M.C, the latter being a close associate of another prominent member of the regional party, A.R.G. Suddenly, after a closed doors session of the regional council, the number of candidates is reduced to one, E.A. presents herself for election at the party congress without opposition. She gets 92% of the votes cast, and not a single vote against, a result which would not perhaps have fully satisfied a Brezhnev or a Ceaucescu but which was considered sufficiently convincing. So there we have it, a scandalous manipulation of the democratic process to impose a candidate in this way. Let’s hope Aguirre’s supporters take up the issue and organise a fresh democratic election in Madrid as soon as possible.
3 comments:
Graeme,
I have a strange unexplainable hunch that your intense dislike for Aguirre has something to do with Thatcher. Perhaps, you belong to that generation of Britons who wake up in the middle of the night bathed in cold sweat after a nightmare in which Thatcher appeared to be still in power - or something like that. There are similarities between the two. But at the next election Aguirre will be 62, not 54, and certainly not 43which on past experience is the top limit age for first time round newly elected Spanish PMs: Suarez -even if he was not initially elected -, Gonzalez, Aznar, Zapatero. Well, all except Calvo Sotelo, who was 52 - I believe - but who, actually, doesn't really count. I think Aguirre is more flexible and open than Rajoy. And I see little of Thatcher's bang-through-the-wall obstinacy. More a snake-in-the-grass-behind-the-curtains schemer. A very determined one, though. At the end of the day, I believe, age still matters in Spain. For the next president of Spain from the PP (or in case the PP implodes, whatever party at that stage will contest the election with the PSOE) one should be paying more attention to the younger generations. Soraya for president anyone?
Moscow, there was a piece in El País yesterday pointing out that Zapatero's cabinet has the oldest average age of any since democracy was restored - even taking into account the youth of two of the new ministers. So perhaps the trend is not always for younger faces.
Graeme,
actually I noticed that as well..... I have an inkling that's because of Solbes', Moratinos', Rubalcaba's and de la Vega's age. Then again, Solbes might not last till the end - on account of poor health (to be replaced by Sebastian). Rubalcaba is known to want to leave. Moratinos might step down after Spain's presidency of the EU. De la vega will stay. Zapatero can't bind his own shoe trings without her.
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