Scary. I'd like to think that the vast majority of voters in Spain are clear headed enough to read into what these "marriages of convenience" could mean. And clear headed enough to recognise Maria Guardiola's u-turn is a sign of weakness. Any changes in the electoral system here, I think, are likely to be years ahead. Don't forget , Spain has been without a dictator for only 48 years - a very short time in history.
It's really quite dispiriting. The more I see of other countries' arrangements, the more I grow to appreciate what I grew up with in Ireland: single transferable vote PR, multi-seat constituencies, a written Constitution that is both honoured by Govt & the courts and amendable by the people. It doesn't mean that all is perfect and people dance in the streets of Dublin or Galway about it, but it's pretty appalling how Spanish politics seems to exist primarily as a way to ensure one set of parasites never quite manage to kill the host before being elbowed aside by the next set.
We could do with a German-style Constitutional Court, unafraid to ban parties that threaten democratic norms, and thereby teach the fascists and ethno-nationalists some manners.
Scary. I'd like to think that the vast majority of voters in Spain are clear headed enough to read into what these "marriages of convenience" could mean. And clear headed enough to recognise Maria Guardiola's u-turn is a sign of weakness. Any changes in the electoral system here, I think, are likely to be years ahead. Don't forget , Spain has been without a dictator for only 48 years - a very short time in history.
It's really quite dispiriting. The more I see of other countries' arrangements, the more I grow to appreciate what I grew up with in Ireland: single transferable vote PR, multi-seat constituencies, a written Constitution that is both honoured by Govt & the courts and amendable by the people. It doesn't mean that all is perfect and people dance in the streets of Dublin or Galway about it, but it's pretty appalling how Spanish politics seems to exist primarily as a way to ensure one set of parasites never quite manage to kill the host before being elbowed aside by the next set.
We could do with a German-style Constitutional Court, unafraid to ban parties that threaten democratic norms, and thereby teach the fascists and ethno-nationalists some manners.