Interview with Manuel Monereo, deputy Unidos Podemos by Cordova
Lucia Tolosa
El Salto
Manuel Monereo (Jaén, 1950) is a rara avis in Spanish politics: knows how to combine courage with prudence, humility with ambition and openness with respect. This lawyer, veteran activist and former leader of IU and PCE, is currently deputy Unidos Podemos in Parliament by the province of Cordoba. Loved and hated in equal parts in the underworld of the left, raises anything but indifference.
Monereo is the history of Spain: he suffered the Franco dictatorship, was imprisoned and tortured, he lived a transition that does not remember as a model stage, and found in politics a school of life. It ensures that much of what he is today, both politically and personally owe it to work period in IU Julio Anguita in front, but maintains a critical stance: "If IU had done his homework, he would not have been necessary we can ".
Congress in his office, where he quoted us, I perceive that Monereo maturity speaks from experience granted, giving the past the importance to be him, and remembering what they have learned to avoid repeating past mistakes. We have a man focused on working to fight this and win the future, pointing to the year 2019. For Monereo, one of the major challenges of our country is to regain lost sovereignty and rebuild the state on democratic bases. That is precisely his latest book: Spain, a project of liberation. In this lucid essay -coescrito with Hector Illueca- political points out the fundamental keys to a constituent project capable of meeting the needs of the social majority.
He says that we are witnessing a transition period marked by the crisis of neoliberal globalization. What is changing?
Historically there have been transitions where the dominant power changing global capitalism. It is what made the United States after World War II: imposed its rules the whole of capitalism. We are now living a very similar to the previous stage to American dominance stage: we are witnessing a decline of hegemonic power and emerging new great powers such as China. East emerges as a fundamental element, and that has consequences such as loss of US hegemony. America remains the greatest superpower, but it can not impose its order as before: you have to negotiate, you have to talk. This new stage is marked by several traits that show the collapse of neoliberal globalization.
I think there are four intertwined crises prove it. The first is the crisis of capitalism financialised, which is the natural system crisis. Then there is the geopolitical crisis, which mainly results in a shift of power from West to East. The third is the ecological and social crisis in the world, I see as a big news because previously played the key role played now. It is producing a kind of knot between geopolitical conflict, scarce resources and conflicts. And the last is the crisis of Occidentalism. Is being put into question the dominance that the West has had of the world economy. All this evidence the crisis of neoliberal globalization, both in Europe and beyond.
Let 's focus on Europe. Why it is so critical to the European project?
For me, the European Union is a system domain. There is a structural derived from southern countries to become dependent and underdeveloped countries of northern countries. Right now in Europe it is a division of labor between an operator center and a periphery increasingly dependent.
Does the introduction of the euro and the development of the single market favor these inequalities?
Completely. Europe has been built as a market, rather than as a state where the iron laws governing the market itself and where there is a redistributive mechanism. The Spanish State has the ability to redistribute income, wealth and power of the richest to the poorest regions. In Europe, it does not exist. The European budget is 1% of GDP. It is 49 times smaller than the Spanish. With this budget, you can not make redistributive policies. So when crises erupt, it happens what we have seen in Greece or Spain: reach a swingeing austerity plans that impoverishes us and dismantle our welfare state. The European project is not maintainable if it makes some people are poorer and richer ones. Sooner or later you will see that this is a project that serves tyrannical for a State,
What the subordination of the countries of the periphery to the interests of Germany evidence?
All deficits that Spain are in Germany. Case with Greece or Portugal. This has much to do with the division of labor between center and periphery. Germany sells us all, but is not willing to pay anything. Thats the big problem. Catalan example is instructive. Catalonia says that Spain steals, because it pays more than it receives. However, he forgets one thing: the trade deficit that the rest of Spain Catalonia is huge, because Catalonia sells us more than we sell. So there is a redistributive mechanism that makes the difference is compensated by paying more taxes. That is precisely what does Germany, and therefore speak of subordination and dependence of southern countries to Germany.
If we continue immersed in this system, what can we expect in the future?
Currently, Spain is not an independent country. He does and says what others decide. We set limits that we abide by . We are a mere peripheral projection advanced economies. In this context, the future is bleak and quite predictable. Spain, like Portugal or Greece, be directed increasingly towards underdevelopment, the more it deteriorates their productive capacity and grow their dependence. If you continue like this , unemployment and job insecurity are the norm, social inequality will grow further and social rights such as education, pensions and healthcare will eventually be unsustainable. As this continues, we will lose more and more values associated with democracy and popular sovereignty will continue to lose.
What sees the loss of sovereignty of the Spanish state?
In substantial loss of power because Spain no longer runs a sovereign state. The real power is in the hands of the EU, which has the necessary mechanisms to impose on any State to carry out neoliberal economic policies. All we can do in this European Union is to choose the best way to implement the neoliberal, monitored and under threat of sanctions recipe. The example of Greece is representative.
Do you think that Greece is comparable to the Spanish case? What conclusions can we draw from the experience States Syriza?
What happened in Greece showed that peripheral countries have the same problem: they are facing a European Union designed as an obstacle to any political, social and economic change that challenges the neoliberal model. The Greek crisis showed that the EU only serves to Germany and highlighted the limited sovereignty of the southern countries. I followed closely the Greek case, and was there in the referendum. I think in Greece influenced not only economic problems, especially debt payable, but the bad example. He went to harm the Greek people to make it clear that they would not forgive the bad example for Europe would be a small country which debt was compelled to change economic policies across the EU. I remember an old militant of Syriza he said:
I feel that we have not got the real consequences of the Greek case. Greece were to play the game without having plan B, as if Europe had a group of well - meaning people willing to help. We have now two possibilities: a plan A or plan B. We must continue working and researching what it means these two plans.
Among those options, does it include the exit from the EU?
It is an alternative, return to the nation state. And another is to change Europe. What is absurd is to accept being in a club where only takes into account the interests of the rich and forget the poor.
It plans to change Europe but paints a scenario where our country is reduced to being a subject dependent country. In that scenario, what real power is Spain to promote an alternative project?
I think a mistake to fall into the defeatist argument that Spain can not do anything. We can no longer abide by the plan of authority that comes from Germany, because that implies living worse, accept that our trade balance deficit is permanently accept back in a matter of social policy and welfare. Many Spaniards accept to be servants of Germany, and they do normalizing the situation. It is not normal that our country is obliged to do or yes neoliberal policies. I rebel against that. There is an increasingly strong contradiction between democracy and capitalism, between liberalism and democracy. When I talk about changing Europe, I mean refound the state on a new basis. That means regulating the economy, ensuring redistributive policies that guarantee social rights,
It made me remember that from "the old man just died, and the new will never be born." Do you see near the constitutional process posed?
I do not see no near or far. That will depend on the will of the Spanish people. If Spaniards accept that no more wax than burning and we must accept the dominance of Germany, since obviously there will be constitutional process. So there will be a systematic process destituyente because the alternative to not having alternative is to live getting worse. That's what we're seeing with the case of pensioners: the impoverishment of basic social rights, a setback.
Is it a utopia to pretend to shield the rights?
It is not impossible. You can legally do: it is what is called the principle of acquired rights. It's as simple as putting a clause in the Spanish Constitution that says: "Spain will not accept never jeopardize their social status by a policy that is imposed by the European Union". The problem of Spain, the conservative view, or what I call 'trasnochado realism' is that in one way or another we get into their heads that there is no money and, therefore, we are doomed to live worse. That's not true: in Spain, and the world has never been so many rich as now, not so much inequality as now. Privileged minorities are usurping the real power in the country.
Does a direct relationship between the rich and the welfare loss?
The problem is that the rich do not pay taxes. 80% of the total tax burden in the country is paid by employees and consumers. In Spain there is money left over, but it is money that is not used to pay taxes, used largely for financial speculation. It happens that the rights of the social majorities touch and not those of the privileged minority. Corruption is the face that allows that, it's a curse.
What are the main challenges ahead for Spain?
Highlight the production model. That is the first challenge, because the production model that has been consolidated is based on a service sector where real estate and tourism are the virtuous circle, and the dependent variable of all economic policy is cheap labor. The mistake is to think: "If everything produces Germany, why do I have to produce?". If we think so, we will never meet the challenge, which is the reindustrialization with new technologies and new mechanisms of economic intervention.
I still see an economic policy to propose a plan of industrialization in Spain for the next few years, or to raise an energy transition to be more autonomous and have less dependence on oil and the major powers. On the other hand, there is the problem of social crisis. We must find alternative ending with the precariousness and low wages, which are also favoring a generational crisis. We have a very serious about the future of our youth problem: there are two generations that are already doomed to poor wages and job insecurity. This is dramatic, because nowadays most young people by their parents remain. Overall, Spain has many challenges ahead ... The territorial crisis is another of them.
Catalonia crisis has highlighted the concept of multi-nationality and homeland. Is Spain plurinational? What is the homeland for Podemos, and why you believe that patriotism is associated with right?
If there is not a plurality of nations or peoples, why is there nationality recognized in the Constitution? We can fight over words, but there is one undeniable fact: Spain has developed national consciousness villages that have built nationalist movements. One of the things that Catalonia teaches us is that over the independence autonomismo creates an existential crisis in citizenship. And that crisis causes thousands of women and men who so far had not experienced difficulties with its being Catalan and Spanish, react turning to Spanish nationalism, which represents better than anyone citizens. We have never identified nationalism with patriotism. We can try to create a speech homeland identity. What happens is that a large portion of patriotic imagery is colonized by Franco and right, and on the other hand, a part of the left believes that the real fight is against the Spanish nationalism. In this clip, there is little room for those who still believe that Spain exists and need to build a common project from a traditional point of view on the left. That means understanding that the national question must be linked to the social question. The current government, right, uses the national question for orillar social problems. there is little room for those who still believe that Spain exists and need to build a common project from a traditional point of view on the left. That means understanding that the national question must be linked to the social question. The current government, right, uses the national question for orillar social problems. there is little room for those who still believe that Spain exists and need to build a common project from a traditional point of view on the left. That means understanding that the national question must be linked to the social question. The current government, right, uses the national question for orillar social problems.
To change things, or at least try, you have access to power. It stays right on it. What about the left in Spain?
I left to see her splendid Spanish.
You are very positive.
And I have reason to be. We are the only country where a left as a force that can aspire to more than 15% of the vote there. Together we can, with 18.19% of votes, is the most powerful left Europe. In Spain there is a peculiarity: here grows the left, while in the other countries. The proliferation of rights in Europe is undeniable. To us 15M vaccinated us from any temptation to extreme right and gave us the possibility of a new road around leftist Podemos. So I think that the first thing to recognize is that, despite having serious problems, we are still an impressive electoral force. When I pass by the parliamentary group and I see with my 73 deputies I feel very proud and satisfied.
I understand that is comforting, but it is still insufficient. What We Can States lacks self - criticism?
I think sometimes self - critical functions like confessionals, as if the realizáramos to absolve our sins. The key is the examination of conscience and purpose of amendment. In my view, the problem is not a lack of self - criticism, but I do not see that there is sufficient purpose of amendment.
What mistakes believed to have committed his party, and what challenges lie ahead believes that?
For starters, we have not been able to present a solvent country project. Still without a project able to explain the model of country we want. That is something we must solve as soon as possible. The second issue is the political subject. States can still pure and simply an electoral alliance of the worst possible kind: parliamentary. I live in Córdoba half of the week, and that States can practically nonexistent. What I mean by that is we will not be creditworthy, or we will be perceived as a left government willing if we have an organizational structure of higher quality. And that can not only be to have unity of action, but by a program and a common direction. Furthermore, I would emphasize that we have failed to build a pole of social mobilization. As a political force, we run the risk of being too stuck in the institutions. I think we are making efforts, but there is still much room for improvement. All these challenges we must solve them as soon as possible, because if we do not we may take a toll not only a bad election result but with very serious political problems for the future.
When she asked how he saw before the Spanish left, not only can I meant States. Have you narrowed the margin of understanding with the PSOE? Is there a war for hegemony of the left?
That would be the worst scenario.
I gather you think is not the present.
It may be that, but it would be the worst because it hurts the whole workers and social majorities. It must be from one essential fact: bipartisanship is over. What we have now is a four-legged table, and what will change is the composition of that table. The PSOE and United We should seek mechanisms of convergence and unity, because the absurdity is to enter a war to occupy a space left that runs the risk of getting smaller, facing an emboldened right. The battle we will win or lose against the right. We must make an effort to find a climate of collaboration, because in many issues we bring to Congress that climate exists.
You speak of a climate of collaboration, but citizens see that not even agree on the reform of the Electoral Act.
What I say is that we can not reduce the problem of Spain to a war between Pedro Sanchez and Pablo Iglesias, because that cover what is really important: the country, people, social rights, pensions. You have to work to build an alternative to the right, the PP and citizens. That's what we're trying modestly and what does not feel that the PSOE is there.
What reasons do you have that impression?
So far, what we see is that the PSOE won its congress defending a policy that has not been able to maintain. It is a party that still does not answer basic questions. What does the PSOE with United We Can? Want to go to a common program, you want to go to temporary governments? You want to take points can, to say the next Congress who have won because we have lost? The PSOE Pedro Sanchez is crossing a river without deciding to cross it , or become.
Tell me about your relationship with IU. Does the confluence for the next elections will be maintained?
I have no doubt it will save any cost. The unit is a very complicated process, and there is much self - restraint both IU and Podemos. Both criticize and disagree, but reasonable and formal as two people who know that, but we must rethink the unit, there is no alternative to it. I think we should be at the height of the times that we live. You have to work to beat the right.
In Spain, as in Europe, mostly wins the right. Why do you think they have proliferated both right - wing populists?
I relate directly to European construction itself. What is disappearing is social democracy in Europe. Right responds to the concerns of people, even if your answer is disastrous. Who stands as a defender of thousands of impoverished workers in France? Marine Le Pen. Who defends the thousands of entrepreneurs with no future in northern Italy? Northern League. In Europe what is missing is a national-popular democratic, understandable for people alternative and to tell the social majorities "we will defend you and will harm the rich and powerful". And that we do not lose. In fact, the triumph of the right has a lot to do with an ontological desire for security. People desperately seeking security, and vote accordingly.
The insecurity is accompanied by fear. Why do you think that influences fear in the vote?
As Ortega said, "We are in crisis and our state is the crisis itself." Before, democracy meant living better. Today democracy, we live worse. Wages do not give to live charged, put in question took for rights acquired, such as pensions, and generally recedes into question of social rights. Amidst such a scenario, people are looking for stability. And what offers more security? Speech rights. The fatherland, order and identity.
I could not end the interview without asking for a necessary item that appears in his book. What do you think of feminism?
The feminist movement is the great hope of the XXI century. Some call reaction, I think it's not only that, it is also a project. I confess that the most interesting things I read lately come from feminist literature. It can say that feminism has managed to build a view for most, starting from a half. I am convinced that feminism is next to environmentalism and Marxism, one of the three sources of a new paradigm that is emerging.
Source: http://www.elsaltodiario.com/nueva-revolucion/el-proyecto-europeo-es-un-sistema-tiranico-que-contribuye-a-que-alemania-domine-al-resto-de-paises -
Lucia Tolosa
El Salto
Manuel Monereo (Jaén, 1950) is a rara avis in Spanish politics: knows how to combine courage with prudence, humility with ambition and openness with respect. This lawyer, veteran activist and former leader of IU and PCE, is currently deputy Unidos Podemos in Parliament by the province of Cordoba. Loved and hated in equal parts in the underworld of the left, raises anything but indifference.
Monereo is the history of Spain: he suffered the Franco dictatorship, was imprisoned and tortured, he lived a transition that does not remember as a model stage, and found in politics a school of life. It ensures that much of what he is today, both politically and personally owe it to work period in IU Julio Anguita in front, but maintains a critical stance: "If IU had done his homework, he would not have been necessary we can ".
Congress in his office, where he quoted us, I perceive that Monereo maturity speaks from experience granted, giving the past the importance to be him, and remembering what they have learned to avoid repeating past mistakes. We have a man focused on working to fight this and win the future, pointing to the year 2019. For Monereo, one of the major challenges of our country is to regain lost sovereignty and rebuild the state on democratic bases. That is precisely his latest book: Spain, a project of liberation. In this lucid essay -coescrito with Hector Illueca- political points out the fundamental keys to a constituent project capable of meeting the needs of the social majority.
He says that we are witnessing a transition period marked by the crisis of neoliberal globalization. What is changing?
Historically there have been transitions where the dominant power changing global capitalism. It is what made the United States after World War II: imposed its rules the whole of capitalism. We are now living a very similar to the previous stage to American dominance stage: we are witnessing a decline of hegemonic power and emerging new great powers such as China. East emerges as a fundamental element, and that has consequences such as loss of US hegemony. America remains the greatest superpower, but it can not impose its order as before: you have to negotiate, you have to talk. This new stage is marked by several traits that show the collapse of neoliberal globalization.
I think there are four intertwined crises prove it. The first is the crisis of capitalism financialised, which is the natural system crisis. Then there is the geopolitical crisis, which mainly results in a shift of power from West to East. The third is the ecological and social crisis in the world, I see as a big news because previously played the key role played now. It is producing a kind of knot between geopolitical conflict, scarce resources and conflicts. And the last is the crisis of Occidentalism. Is being put into question the dominance that the West has had of the world economy. All this evidence the crisis of neoliberal globalization, both in Europe and beyond.
Let 's focus on Europe. Why it is so critical to the European project?
For me, the European Union is a system domain. There is a structural derived from southern countries to become dependent and underdeveloped countries of northern countries. Right now in Europe it is a division of labor between an operator center and a periphery increasingly dependent.
Does the introduction of the euro and the development of the single market favor these inequalities?
Completely. Europe has been built as a market, rather than as a state where the iron laws governing the market itself and where there is a redistributive mechanism. The Spanish State has the ability to redistribute income, wealth and power of the richest to the poorest regions. In Europe, it does not exist. The European budget is 1% of GDP. It is 49 times smaller than the Spanish. With this budget, you can not make redistributive policies. So when crises erupt, it happens what we have seen in Greece or Spain: reach a swingeing austerity plans that impoverishes us and dismantle our welfare state. The European project is not maintainable if it makes some people are poorer and richer ones. Sooner or later you will see that this is a project that serves tyrannical for a State,
What the subordination of the countries of the periphery to the interests of Germany evidence?
All deficits that Spain are in Germany. Case with Greece or Portugal. This has much to do with the division of labor between center and periphery. Germany sells us all, but is not willing to pay anything. Thats the big problem. Catalan example is instructive. Catalonia says that Spain steals, because it pays more than it receives. However, he forgets one thing: the trade deficit that the rest of Spain Catalonia is huge, because Catalonia sells us more than we sell. So there is a redistributive mechanism that makes the difference is compensated by paying more taxes. That is precisely what does Germany, and therefore speak of subordination and dependence of southern countries to Germany.
If we continue immersed in this system, what can we expect in the future?
Currently, Spain is not an independent country. He does and says what others decide. We set limits that we abide by . We are a mere peripheral projection advanced economies. In this context, the future is bleak and quite predictable. Spain, like Portugal or Greece, be directed increasingly towards underdevelopment, the more it deteriorates their productive capacity and grow their dependence. If you continue like this , unemployment and job insecurity are the norm, social inequality will grow further and social rights such as education, pensions and healthcare will eventually be unsustainable. As this continues, we will lose more and more values associated with democracy and popular sovereignty will continue to lose.
What sees the loss of sovereignty of the Spanish state?
In substantial loss of power because Spain no longer runs a sovereign state. The real power is in the hands of the EU, which has the necessary mechanisms to impose on any State to carry out neoliberal economic policies. All we can do in this European Union is to choose the best way to implement the neoliberal, monitored and under threat of sanctions recipe. The example of Greece is representative.
Do you think that Greece is comparable to the Spanish case? What conclusions can we draw from the experience States Syriza?
What happened in Greece showed that peripheral countries have the same problem: they are facing a European Union designed as an obstacle to any political, social and economic change that challenges the neoliberal model. The Greek crisis showed that the EU only serves to Germany and highlighted the limited sovereignty of the southern countries. I followed closely the Greek case, and was there in the referendum. I think in Greece influenced not only economic problems, especially debt payable, but the bad example. He went to harm the Greek people to make it clear that they would not forgive the bad example for Europe would be a small country which debt was compelled to change economic policies across the EU. I remember an old militant of Syriza he said:
I feel that we have not got the real consequences of the Greek case. Greece were to play the game without having plan B, as if Europe had a group of well - meaning people willing to help. We have now two possibilities: a plan A or plan B. We must continue working and researching what it means these two plans.
Among those options, does it include the exit from the EU?
It is an alternative, return to the nation state. And another is to change Europe. What is absurd is to accept being in a club where only takes into account the interests of the rich and forget the poor.
It plans to change Europe but paints a scenario where our country is reduced to being a subject dependent country. In that scenario, what real power is Spain to promote an alternative project?
I think a mistake to fall into the defeatist argument that Spain can not do anything. We can no longer abide by the plan of authority that comes from Germany, because that implies living worse, accept that our trade balance deficit is permanently accept back in a matter of social policy and welfare. Many Spaniards accept to be servants of Germany, and they do normalizing the situation. It is not normal that our country is obliged to do or yes neoliberal policies. I rebel against that. There is an increasingly strong contradiction between democracy and capitalism, between liberalism and democracy. When I talk about changing Europe, I mean refound the state on a new basis. That means regulating the economy, ensuring redistributive policies that guarantee social rights,
It made me remember that from "the old man just died, and the new will never be born." Do you see near the constitutional process posed?
I do not see no near or far. That will depend on the will of the Spanish people. If Spaniards accept that no more wax than burning and we must accept the dominance of Germany, since obviously there will be constitutional process. So there will be a systematic process destituyente because the alternative to not having alternative is to live getting worse. That's what we're seeing with the case of pensioners: the impoverishment of basic social rights, a setback.
Is it a utopia to pretend to shield the rights?
It is not impossible. You can legally do: it is what is called the principle of acquired rights. It's as simple as putting a clause in the Spanish Constitution that says: "Spain will not accept never jeopardize their social status by a policy that is imposed by the European Union". The problem of Spain, the conservative view, or what I call 'trasnochado realism' is that in one way or another we get into their heads that there is no money and, therefore, we are doomed to live worse. That's not true: in Spain, and the world has never been so many rich as now, not so much inequality as now. Privileged minorities are usurping the real power in the country.
Does a direct relationship between the rich and the welfare loss?
The problem is that the rich do not pay taxes. 80% of the total tax burden in the country is paid by employees and consumers. In Spain there is money left over, but it is money that is not used to pay taxes, used largely for financial speculation. It happens that the rights of the social majorities touch and not those of the privileged minority. Corruption is the face that allows that, it's a curse.
What are the main challenges ahead for Spain?
Highlight the production model. That is the first challenge, because the production model that has been consolidated is based on a service sector where real estate and tourism are the virtuous circle, and the dependent variable of all economic policy is cheap labor. The mistake is to think: "If everything produces Germany, why do I have to produce?". If we think so, we will never meet the challenge, which is the reindustrialization with new technologies and new mechanisms of economic intervention.
I still see an economic policy to propose a plan of industrialization in Spain for the next few years, or to raise an energy transition to be more autonomous and have less dependence on oil and the major powers. On the other hand, there is the problem of social crisis. We must find alternative ending with the precariousness and low wages, which are also favoring a generational crisis. We have a very serious about the future of our youth problem: there are two generations that are already doomed to poor wages and job insecurity. This is dramatic, because nowadays most young people by their parents remain. Overall, Spain has many challenges ahead ... The territorial crisis is another of them.
Catalonia crisis has highlighted the concept of multi-nationality and homeland. Is Spain plurinational? What is the homeland for Podemos, and why you believe that patriotism is associated with right?
If there is not a plurality of nations or peoples, why is there nationality recognized in the Constitution? We can fight over words, but there is one undeniable fact: Spain has developed national consciousness villages that have built nationalist movements. One of the things that Catalonia teaches us is that over the independence autonomismo creates an existential crisis in citizenship. And that crisis causes thousands of women and men who so far had not experienced difficulties with its being Catalan and Spanish, react turning to Spanish nationalism, which represents better than anyone citizens. We have never identified nationalism with patriotism. We can try to create a speech homeland identity. What happens is that a large portion of patriotic imagery is colonized by Franco and right, and on the other hand, a part of the left believes that the real fight is against the Spanish nationalism. In this clip, there is little room for those who still believe that Spain exists and need to build a common project from a traditional point of view on the left. That means understanding that the national question must be linked to the social question. The current government, right, uses the national question for orillar social problems. there is little room for those who still believe that Spain exists and need to build a common project from a traditional point of view on the left. That means understanding that the national question must be linked to the social question. The current government, right, uses the national question for orillar social problems. there is little room for those who still believe that Spain exists and need to build a common project from a traditional point of view on the left. That means understanding that the national question must be linked to the social question. The current government, right, uses the national question for orillar social problems.
To change things, or at least try, you have access to power. It stays right on it. What about the left in Spain?
I left to see her splendid Spanish.
You are very positive.
And I have reason to be. We are the only country where a left as a force that can aspire to more than 15% of the vote there. Together we can, with 18.19% of votes, is the most powerful left Europe. In Spain there is a peculiarity: here grows the left, while in the other countries. The proliferation of rights in Europe is undeniable. To us 15M vaccinated us from any temptation to extreme right and gave us the possibility of a new road around leftist Podemos. So I think that the first thing to recognize is that, despite having serious problems, we are still an impressive electoral force. When I pass by the parliamentary group and I see with my 73 deputies I feel very proud and satisfied.
I understand that is comforting, but it is still insufficient. What We Can States lacks self - criticism?
I think sometimes self - critical functions like confessionals, as if the realizáramos to absolve our sins. The key is the examination of conscience and purpose of amendment. In my view, the problem is not a lack of self - criticism, but I do not see that there is sufficient purpose of amendment.
What mistakes believed to have committed his party, and what challenges lie ahead believes that?
For starters, we have not been able to present a solvent country project. Still without a project able to explain the model of country we want. That is something we must solve as soon as possible. The second issue is the political subject. States can still pure and simply an electoral alliance of the worst possible kind: parliamentary. I live in Córdoba half of the week, and that States can practically nonexistent. What I mean by that is we will not be creditworthy, or we will be perceived as a left government willing if we have an organizational structure of higher quality. And that can not only be to have unity of action, but by a program and a common direction. Furthermore, I would emphasize that we have failed to build a pole of social mobilization. As a political force, we run the risk of being too stuck in the institutions. I think we are making efforts, but there is still much room for improvement. All these challenges we must solve them as soon as possible, because if we do not we may take a toll not only a bad election result but with very serious political problems for the future.
When she asked how he saw before the Spanish left, not only can I meant States. Have you narrowed the margin of understanding with the PSOE? Is there a war for hegemony of the left?
That would be the worst scenario.
I gather you think is not the present.
It may be that, but it would be the worst because it hurts the whole workers and social majorities. It must be from one essential fact: bipartisanship is over. What we have now is a four-legged table, and what will change is the composition of that table. The PSOE and United We should seek mechanisms of convergence and unity, because the absurdity is to enter a war to occupy a space left that runs the risk of getting smaller, facing an emboldened right. The battle we will win or lose against the right. We must make an effort to find a climate of collaboration, because in many issues we bring to Congress that climate exists.
You speak of a climate of collaboration, but citizens see that not even agree on the reform of the Electoral Act.
What I say is that we can not reduce the problem of Spain to a war between Pedro Sanchez and Pablo Iglesias, because that cover what is really important: the country, people, social rights, pensions. You have to work to build an alternative to the right, the PP and citizens. That's what we're trying modestly and what does not feel that the PSOE is there.
What reasons do you have that impression?
So far, what we see is that the PSOE won its congress defending a policy that has not been able to maintain. It is a party that still does not answer basic questions. What does the PSOE with United We Can? Want to go to a common program, you want to go to temporary governments? You want to take points can, to say the next Congress who have won because we have lost? The PSOE Pedro Sanchez is crossing a river without deciding to cross it , or become.
Tell me about your relationship with IU. Does the confluence for the next elections will be maintained?
I have no doubt it will save any cost. The unit is a very complicated process, and there is much self - restraint both IU and Podemos. Both criticize and disagree, but reasonable and formal as two people who know that, but we must rethink the unit, there is no alternative to it. I think we should be at the height of the times that we live. You have to work to beat the right.
In Spain, as in Europe, mostly wins the right. Why do you think they have proliferated both right - wing populists?
I relate directly to European construction itself. What is disappearing is social democracy in Europe. Right responds to the concerns of people, even if your answer is disastrous. Who stands as a defender of thousands of impoverished workers in France? Marine Le Pen. Who defends the thousands of entrepreneurs with no future in northern Italy? Northern League. In Europe what is missing is a national-popular democratic, understandable for people alternative and to tell the social majorities "we will defend you and will harm the rich and powerful". And that we do not lose. In fact, the triumph of the right has a lot to do with an ontological desire for security. People desperately seeking security, and vote accordingly.
The insecurity is accompanied by fear. Why do you think that influences fear in the vote?
As Ortega said, "We are in crisis and our state is the crisis itself." Before, democracy meant living better. Today democracy, we live worse. Wages do not give to live charged, put in question took for rights acquired, such as pensions, and generally recedes into question of social rights. Amidst such a scenario, people are looking for stability. And what offers more security? Speech rights. The fatherland, order and identity.
I could not end the interview without asking for a necessary item that appears in his book. What do you think of feminism?
The feminist movement is the great hope of the XXI century. Some call reaction, I think it's not only that, it is also a project. I confess that the most interesting things I read lately come from feminist literature. It can say that feminism has managed to build a view for most, starting from a half. I am convinced that feminism is next to environmentalism and Marxism, one of the three sources of a new paradigm that is emerging.
Source: http://www.elsaltodiario.com/nueva-revolucion/el-proyecto-europeo-es-un-sistema-tiranico-que-contribuye-a-que-alemania-domine-al-resto-de-paises -
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