History of a crisis of confidence

MadridThis past week has arguably been one of the most difficult for the government in general, and especially for its president, Pedro Sánchez, in particular. Just look at the Socialist leader. in Monday's appearances and TuesdayBut the power supply was restored relatively quickly, within twenty-four hours of the disease and the tragedies it caused. In this other case, however, the problem is one of credibility. And very far-sighted—the power was suddenly cut off at 12:33:16 on Monday. A government official, because a reaction of this kind can leave a deep shadow of uncertainty. who has conducted an emergency surveytells us that the PSOE is not affected and remains ahead of the PP. We'll have to see the next barometer from this same organization to follow the case.

The essentials

We didn't return to the caves on Monday, but we did notice how essential a stable energy supply is to our sense of security. It's not just a convenience, but a basic tool for life-saving needs that can be urgent. Fortunately, Hospitals have the means to temporarily guarantee activity In unforeseen circumstances. But without considering the most dangerous scenarios, the loss of electricity to an entire country means a radical disruption to life at all levels. There were lines to buy flashlights and candles, and many phone booths were out of battery-powered radios. Electricity, and what guarantees can be offered that there won't be another similar episode in the foreseeable future? We can't live without electricity. The socialist leader's advantage is his character, tested on several occasions.

We now have electricity, but I imagine many people still wake up wondering if they're guaranteed a normal life for the rest of the day, and a satisfied smile spreads across their faces when they realize that, for now, the electrical outlets are still doing their job. It's quite a contrast to that Monday afternoon, when people were telling themselves it was time to go to bed. And the usual jokes were made about a foreseeable new situation. baby boom. Now, what's needed is to move from the chapter of praise to the maturity of citizens in the phase of accountability.

The history of humanity is full of unforeseeable accidents. But in our days, in technologically evolved societies, the margin for the whims of chance is greatly reduced. The temptation may be to establish blurred responsibilities or find a scapegoat. This shouldn't happen. We already have precedents, such as in the Pegasus case of illegal wiretapping. This episode is not one that can be closed with the resignation or dismissal of an official. This case cannot be equated with what was said when ecological crimes against the environment were classified. The commentary was that the worker who opened the wrong tap would always end up paying, rather than the person responsible for the design and operation of the facilities, or the public official who authorized them.

Explanations are needed

At the moment, what we know from the investigations, apart from the mobilization of the National Intelligence Center, is that the government has requested all available data from the electricity companies—those that produce the energy—and from Red Eléctrica—which transmits and operates the system. What we read from the experts is that everything points to a systemic failure. It would be wise for us to focus on that, by confirming whether this was the case, before following the lead—pardon the metaphor—of the propagandists of renewable energy or nuclear power plants. We'll return to this point. But hopefully, from the outset, we can resolve the main unknowns with certainty and a certain speed. This light must also be restored as soon as possible. with the necessary help from European bodiesTo recover from this blow, the best thing that can happen to the PSOE-Sumar coalition government is for Pedro Sánchez to have the opportunity to appear before Congress on May 7th with convincing explanations for the April 28th blackout. He can also explain why there's no need to fear a repeat of the events.