The far right presents an argument based on facts or general beliefs: housing is too expensive for most families, public authorities treat immigrants better than citizens, there is insecurity on the streets due to the high crime rate among immigrants, the EU is overly regulatory and costs us a lot of money. Simple, direct messages, with little nuance. Traditional parties, conservatives and social democrats, present arguments that are more ideological than factual. They don't contrast facts, but rather ideas. For many people, these ideas are far removed from what directly matters to them. Facts are immediate; ideas are less so because they are nuanced.
Social media is now the primary source of information for many people. Focusing on facts in communication has advantages because they can be useful for reinforcing the message. Communicating ideas, however, requires discussing contrasting opinions, the strength of the argument, and nuances... It's unavoidable.
The ideological convergence of the right and the far right in the US (two social groups united under a single party, the Republican Party) amplifies the significance of this phenomenon, because it is no longer just an extremist group governed by these principles, but rather the entire more conservative segment of the population, representing over 40% of society. The same is beginning to happen in Spain due to the close political ties and collaboration between Vox and the People's Party (PP), where the former holds more political leadership than the latter. The far right makes no exceptions; it targets large and relatively monolithic groups. Traditional parties, on the other hand, focus more on minority groups to engage and unite diverse communities.
The Democratic Party in the US, both before and after the 2016 election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, neglected the white working class in the Midwestern states, who have suffered wage reductions and unemployment due to globalization. They have shifted their votes to Republican. The Democratic Party, by promoting economic globalization for many years, directly harmed them. For many manufactured goods—cars, appliances, textiles, and raw materials—production has moved in part to Asia and China due to lower production costs and negligible transportation costs. There was no protection for local production, something the Trump administration is now reversing with import tariffs and measures to support local manufacturing. For years, the Democratic Party ignored this group in favor of targeting minority groups. The Democratic Party's mistake was losing sight of the working population. This, coupled with the perceived intellectual superiority of the college-educated population over the rest of the population, has been electorally disastrous for the Democratic Party. He forgot what was important for the well-being of the lower classes and even belittled them. This is a clear example of undervaluing issues that affect the majority in order to focus on ideas that matter to minorities.
These circumstances, applied to Spain, explain the policy the PSOE is pursuing in relation to regional parties. This policy is made more complex by the weakness of the pivotal party, the PSOE, which shares power and electorate with the PP, and by the nationalist/regionalist ideology of many regional parties. Unlike in the US, the debate here is not between a more right-wing or more left-wing policy, but rather about who gains influence: the central government or the regional governments.
Traditional right-wing parties don't challenge the arguments of the far right because this maintains a limited differentiation that allows them to form coalition governments. Left-wing parties don't either, to avoid conflict on sensitive issues. Thus, the arguments of the far right are not directly debated. And this is possibly the origin of the problem that now arises.
The regional demands have been formalized, but the question is whether they can be met without modifying the distribution of funds between the central government and the autonomous communities. This wouldn't require a constitutional reform, but it would require a restructuring of powers and budgets regarding what each entity does and pays for. And for the right wing, the unity of Spain is a supreme good. Even if this unity isn't in danger, if it's brought up, the discussion shifts to a higher level, because Madrid is the capital of the kingdom.
It is already known that implementing the principle of ordinality without any region losing funding from the central government requires transferring an additional €25 billion per year to the autonomous communities, representing 5% of the national budget. And, given the growth in tax revenue, this is possible if implemented progressively. ERC and Junts should understand this: new funding for Catalonia is only viable through new regional funding at the national level. To achieve this, the funding must be simple, which is precisely the advantage of the principle of ordinality. If we delve into the specifics and exceptions, we will get lost. It has happened before.
I return, then, to the beginning: it is necessary to speak of things and not of ideas. It is practical facts that concern and persuade the citizenry. Ortega said, a century ago:Citizens, in things"
