On Spain: Existential Crisis? Perhaps

I have been writing a lot on Israel, and thought I should write about another one of my lifelong interests: Spain

Spain is undergoing its greatest crisis since the death of Franco, and the struggle began to develop a parliamentary system of governance. We see the reemergence of themes from Spain's complex and endlessly fascinating past. While in theory, and mostly practice, Spain has been a unified kingdom/state for some 500 years, under the surface separatist forces continue to work.

Very quickly, and others can fill in more details. This, after all, is just a humble vanity blog.

In October 2017, Catalan separatists tried to hold a referendum in Catalonia demanding the region's independence. The Government in Madrid declared the referendum illegal and unconstitutional, and ordered it suppressed--which it was. The organizers were accused of sedition and several of them, including the ring leader, Carlos Puigdemont, fled to Brussels, from where they continued to call for Catalan independence. Others went to prison.

Jump to July of this year. 

As I wrote briefly then, the main conservative party (PP) won a narrow victory, and the main left party (PSOE) suffered a narrow defeat. Neither party had a majority in parliament and, thus, could not form a government on its own; each went off to look for allies among smaller parties, or face another election later this month. It seemed that's where Spain was heading, to wit, new elections, but, no, the PSOE, defying the "experts," has pulled a major stunt to save its government. Despite having vowed not to make alliance with parties seeking the dissolution of Spain, and sworn not to promote an amnesty for those convicted or charged with trying to dissolve Spain, that's exactly what the PSOE is doing, and it looks like it might succeed. 

PSOE has promised an amnesty to those involved in the 2017 referendum; to give Catalonia a special tax status which would enable Catalonia to keep all tax revenues it collects; and, apparently, to hold another referendum on separation. That has not gone over well in most of the rest of Spain. Hence, we see widespread demonstrations in every major city. I was quite surprised to see so many young people waving Spanish flags and calling for the end of socialist rule, and--surprise!--an end to open immigration. The Diplowife and I got caught in one demonstration in front of the PSOE HQs--our place in Madrid is right around the corner--and we sucked in a lot of tear gas. The cops overreacted as the crowd was loud, but not violent, well, not until the cops started with the tear gas and the rubber bullets. Back in North Carolina, we have been watching YouTube videos of the demonstrations and see our building featured, bathed in blue police lights and swirling clouds of tear gas. Nervous laugh.

The PSOE looks determined to ride out the unrest, promising to have a vote in parliament (Las Cortes) this week to formally set up its new government. 

Many questions and uncertainties: Can this coalition, in fact, govern as a key component does not recognize the legitimacy of the King, the constitution, or the Spanish state? Is this even constitutional? Lots of my Spanish friends hope/trust that the King will step in (as did his father to halt the 1982 coup attempt) and refuse to recognize this as a legitimate governing coalition. Don't know how much an activist this King is.

It seems that everywhere, we see the structure of Western Civilization under attack.