Feijóo, the man who could not govern
Pedro Sánchez and Alberto Núñez Feijóo took stock of the political course and, as expected, both opted for maximalism. They insisted on a narrative inappropriate not only for the main opposition party, but for adults: Spain is at the worst moment in its history (the economic data doesn't seem to support this idea, but it's all talk) because an evil man is governing who sells out the country to his enemies. "Repeal Sánchezism." With this aim, Feijóo made an exciting announcement: in September, he will have prepared a list of Sánchez-era laws that must be repealed, and another list of laws to replace them. trans law, the Democratic Memory Law, or the labor reform, with a rather peculiar addition: the amnesty law: the Spanish state's attempt to provide a legal response to the political repression that the Spanish state itself perpetrated against a democratic movement like the independence movement. This is indeed a difficult fit, even conceptually. And it's even more so with a judicial leadership dedicated to safeguarding the interests of certain elites, and a very specific idea of Spain.
Feijóo, however, had words for Catalonia, announcing to the Catalans that they would "fix their problems," but that they would do it "well," without elaborating further. He made a witty remark: "There's no need to change your passport, you have to change your government." Excellent. There's one drawback, and that is that the possibility of changing government still depends on the PP being able to secure the support of the Catalan separatists, particularly Junts, people whom Feijóo refers to, almost in the same sentence, as "accomplices" of Sanchismo. He also claims that he hasn't governed so far because he didn't want to take "shortcuts," that is, negotiate with the Catalans (although in reality it was the Catalans who didn't want to negotiate with him). Never mind. His first proposal to them is to repeal the amnesty law, so the path to a future understanding doesn't seem very clear or straightforward. On the other hand, and although no one knows much or takes into account what's happening in the Balearic Islands or Valencia (nor in Catalonia, absorbed in victimhood and post-Civil War arrogance), the PP's horrific attack on the Catalan language in these two communities, perpetrated by Vox (which would be the dialogues for the government), is a government. Incidentally, Mazón was sitting comfortably at the PP executive meeting. He was the most smiling and tanned person in the world.
