What is Democracy 21 and why has Citizens involved itself in it?

BarcelonaFor more than a year, lawyer Miriam González has been flirting with the possibility of taking the step into politics. Dedicated to promoting initiatives from civil society like España Mejor, with the goal of influencing public policies based on democratic regeneration, she has finally decided to run in the November 29th elections with a new political party: Democracy 21. The group, which was presented last Saturday in Madrid, aims to make a mark in the upcoming elections as a centrist option, despite having expected general elections next year and not immediately. At the same time, parties like Citizens have become involved in the form of a coalition with the hope of reviving the reformist space. Be that as it may, how does Miriam González plan to stand out in a context of maximum polarization between the right and the left?

González stresses in a conversation with ARA that it was "better to take the plunge," even though they did not foresee the snap election. "The calling of early elections has meant that instead of more provinces, as we wanted, we have concentrated our efforts in Barcelona and Madrid, as a rational decision," she asserts. In her opinion, "there are a lot of people who do not feel represented by anything, who have stopped trusting the PSOE after its paralysis and the corruption cases, but they are also not willing to give their vote to a PP that expects votes to fall to it because of the opponent's mistakes, without inspiring ideas and with a party that has not renewed itself after the corruption, in addition to the doubts that making an agreement with Vox points to." The Spanish lawyer maintains that "the message is that there is an alternative": "We are the majority of the country, there are many of us. People want different things and are fed up with so much polarization," she concludes.

The political leader considers that this "situation of hyperpolarization penalizes the country," and states that, in the face of problems, Democràcia 21 has "the philosophy of 'I'll fix it'," instead of seeking confrontation. "Generating consensus in politics is fundamental," she points out. And proof of this is that she went to the Puerta del Sol housing encampment "to listen and understand" and was received "with respect." And she reasons that some will wonder "how is it possible that someone who is not from the extreme left goes there." She says, however, that it is necessary to build bridges and solve problems.

In any case, a question that lingers, with the reappearance in these state elections, is why she has allied with Ciudadanos in the form of a coalition, even though the brand is Democràcia 21? "From the beginning with civil society, not only Ciudadanos, but many parties have worked for a political alternative," although "it is not the same context as ten years ago." "What was left of Ciudadanos and other small parties" have worked on it and she claims that "it is necessary to unite to push towards an agenda that leads to consensus." However, González does not seek "political recycling," even though "there are people with a desire for change and a different way of governing."

A Citizens different from Albert Rivera's, whom he has criticized for reproducing the same vices of the system. In fact, González's party is not to the liking of the former Catalan politician, who this week said on Antena 3 that "one must concentrate the vote" and avoid it "going to the trash". "I respect that parties are founded, but one thing is for parties to be founded and another thing is for us to gamble with the lottery drum, now is the moment for the vote to be super-safe and useful and for there to be change," he defended.

Sources from Citizens emphasize to ARA that "since the last assembly," with the new leadership headed by Carlos Pérez-Nievas, they are working to "rebuild the center space" and that Miriam González "fits perfectly with the ideological spectrum" like the agreement with other minority parties such as UCIN. According to these sources, "it is an interesting movement, it has a very great potential and it is the same ideological space with exciting ideas." Now in the process of collecting signatures, Citizens is rolling up its sleeves thoroughly, together with the other parties, to gather the more than 10,000 adhesions necessary to reach 0.1% of the census and be able to run.

González's reasons

The diagnosis that González makes is that "for decades there has been talk of two Spains, but both Spains end up doing exactly the same, filling the administrations with their own" and perpetuating vices that she believes must be left behind. Despite the adverse context, she sees everything as "fluid" and advances that "every vote for Democracy 21 will go towards ensuring the democratic system with cleanliness and common sense". She claims to be "the change" and intends for the support of young people to be an important lever for her movement, in the face of which criticisms have rained down "especially from the extremes".