As could be expected, the new Government of Spain is finding
many difficult to solve the deteriorating situation inherited from the previous
socialist Administration. The widespread economic crisis that, from more than
three years, we have been suffering, coupled with the inability of the various
governments headed by Zapatero (the most incompetent of all those we had on our
young democracy), has brought to light many shortcomings and has led us to a
real emergency situation, positioning us at the bottom of Europe, overcome, so
far, only by Ireland, Greece and Portugal. With unemployment exceeding twice
the average of all countries of the EU, an excessively high risk premium which
raises the cost of debt financing, a fall in public and private investment, a
consumption reduction of the families, a
markets that speculating on our future, and some European leaders, as the case
of French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, or the Italian Prime Minister, Mario
Monti, raising doubts about our ability to recover, the future appears quite
gloomy. No doubt it will be necessary to take hard and unpopular measures,
which will provide an extra effort upon the already loaded backs of the Spanish, but, above all, it is
essential that these are fast, conclusive, successful and effective. Since the
problem is known, where the Government can not err is in the solutions to be
applied; the present circumstances already not allow further experiments or
further delay. If Spain, as we begin to point out some means natives
and foreigners, would see in the need to accept a bailout, the situation
would become dramatic and the effects for the Country would be devastating. The
consequences of an intervention not only would represent a real loss of our
sovereignty, but also condemn the Spanish for not lift his head by many years.
Regarding the above, there is no denying that the Government,
led by Mariano Rajoy, worried and busy for all that, is moving quickly. The
steps being taken, in the short time that the executive has been in office, and
the scale and importance of them, denoted a firm will take the path that leads
gradually to the desired recovery. In any case, much remains to be done: more
settings, more reforms, policies of economic recovery, and, over all, a
priority, review the current regional and municipal model. Of all the entire
set of measures which, necessarily, have to be implemented by the new
Government, with the political cost of doing so (labor reform has already led
to the first general strike, within the first 100 days of legislature), what,
in my opinion, will have more difficulties and that, moreover, I consider as
sine qua non condition, is the reform
of current regional and municipal system: monumental,
disproportionate, inefficient and unsustainable, that, besides being a drag our
economy, is generating a high level of distrust in both international markets
and in our community partners.
It is not understandable, or
acceptable, that a country like Spain with a population of approximately 47
million inhabitants, has the most complex administrative structure of Europe,
with a measurement that is more than 20 times that Britain has, despite to have
more than sixty million people, and this to name just one example. If to the
seventeen autonomous communities, monstrosity created in this country,
unprecedented on the planet Earth, halfway between central state and a federal
system, join the two autonomous cities
of Ceuta and Melilla, and the councils, counties, municipalities and smaller
local authorities, etc., we found with 19 autonomous governments, 8.116
municipalities and more than 3.000 small municipalities, all this without the
citizens have gained one iota in efficacy, but on the contrary, multiply services and functions, contributing
to the confusion and the disorder among agencies, with consequent damage to
citizens. The most regrettable thing is
that this whole framework, established with the excuse of bringing the
administration to the citizen, the only thing that has helped is to satisfy the
interests of a political caste shameless and unethical, allowing them to create
thousands of lucrative jobs absolutely unnecessary, both the Administration and
in the complex web of public enterprises founded for that purpose, of doubtful
effectiveness and lack of profitability, besides feeding speculatives business
and encourage patronage of the parties. This all, of course, to meet the
pharaonic megalomania of politicians themselves at the expense of squander the
money contributed by all the taxpayers; cheated and fleeced. Nobody can
understand or support all the necessary budget cuts that have to be addressed,
in order to be able to balance the accounts of the state and sovereign debt
control, if this affect the quality of services or of benefits in sectors as
sensitive such as health or education, without cut off previously the excessive
spending of maintaining of general government, ending, once and for all, with
this untenable situation that is throwing away, without shame, and without
justifiable compensation, thousands of million euros; capital that could ease
many of the sacrifices that will have to suffer the citizens, due to the many
mistakes committed since the enactment of our present Constitution, and that,
necessarily, have to be corrected.
All crises, regardless of the adverse
effects which may be associated, are often conducive to correct imbalances and
abnormal situations that, in good times, may be more difficult to approach. In our case, and given that it is also part of
the problem, is necessary to end to that sort of Taifa kingdoms in which they
have become the current autonomies, with developing political and
administrative regimes parallel and independent that led to the dismemberment
of the State, leading to disparate and unassumable costs to our economy, also
taking advantage of the situation to bring order into other smaller
administrative entities: county councils, municipalities, and so on. If now,
that is the right time, is not undertaken this work, the patient, ie Spain,
could improve, but will be exposed to a recurrence that probably will not be
able to overcome. Some critics, like the case of the President of the Community
of Madrid, Esperanza Aguirre, the highest representative of the liberal
section of the People's Party, have
already taken a first step to put into consideration the return on the
Government of Spain of competencies in education, health and justice, reaching
a figure of about 48.000 million euros in savings, what such a move would
entail. From this figure it is not difficult to imagine the astronomical
expenditure that is being generated by the poor construction of the Autonomous
State and the amazing savings that we would get with a rational management of
this. The article 155 of the Spanish Constitution in force, allows the
Government, with support from the Senate, can take corrective action against
any autonomous region when occur a chaos that undermines the public interest, a
situation that is already being produced and that, for not be faced, is getting worse over time.
What remains to be seen, is whether the current president, Mariano Rajoy, will
have enough political courage to tackle this sensitive issue, taking into
account that would leave without work thousands of political absolutely
unnecessary, some of them of his party, of course, since most of them would
have no choice but to look for life on other tasks and that, in many cases, not
would exceed a competition for beadles of secondary schools. For now, the
President, does not seem very willing for that, but the time, the special
circumstances, external and internal pressures, and the whole set of avatars
that occur in high-level policy, could change even the most enduring
convictions. If this is achieved, would
be good for Spain and for the whole of the Spanish, except for those directly
affected, of course, although, for these latter, would be a logic penance
associated so they can purge the alleged abuses committed.
What is certain is
that we have a long way to go and many difficulties to overcome; but, as hope
is the last thing that to be missed, there will have to put much faith in that
the storms, that yet to come, will not deviate us from the true course and,
although we can finish something battered,
we can, finally, achieve a
successful.
C. Diaz Fdez.
Oviedo April 17, 2012
Oviedo April 17, 2012