Doomed to failure from the beginning, this no-confidence vote was an opprtunity for the two Spains to expose their contradictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spain has just concluded its two days of a marathon debate on the no-confidence motion presented by right-wing party VOX against the leftist coalition government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez after they reformed the law on sedition to ease the legal pressure on Catalan separatists. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The no-confidence was rejected by the Spanish parliament with just the 52 votes of VOX in favour of withdrawing confidence from the incumbent government and 201 votes against it. The Popular Party (PP) abstained from the vote because they did not want to vote \u201cyes\u201d as a matter of “respect for the Spanish people” and did not to say \u201cno\u201d out of respect for Mr. Ram\u00f3n Tamames, the leader of the vote, Cuca Gamarra, spokeswoman of the party, said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The debate, which has been going for two days, constitutes an opportunity for the Spanish people to see the contradictions of their mainstream parties as each intervention during the plenary session stands as a discourse analysis of some opponent politician or political party that makes the job of a political commentator easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seeing these contradictions, the people of the polarized two Spains may realize that this polarization is not rooted in real differences as much as it is rooted in political calculations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The vote was surprinsingly led by the well respected economist and Communist figure Ram\u00f3n Tamames, 89, in what seems to be a political move by Santiago Abascal, leader of Vox, to lure votes from centre, left, and right in the upcoming elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The timing and the choice of Professor Tamames have provoked much criticism against Vox from the left and the right inside and outside of the Spanish parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alberto N\u00fa\u00f1ez Feij\u00f3o, leader of the Popular Party, a right-wing opposition party, who instead of attending the debate was meeting EU ambassadors in the Swiss embassy, criticized VOX for giving the leftist coalition an opportunity to launch their electoral campaign. For him, the vote was unnecessary with elections due in December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet, the abstention of the PP from the vote may not spare them blame for implicit support for the vote in a manner that approximates their conduct in the eyes of the Spanish voters to that of the very provocative VOX. Patxi L\u00f3pez, from Sanchez\u2019s Socialist Worekrs\u2019 Party (PSOE), said the abstention of the PP legitimates VOX.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the second day of the debate, In\u00e9s Arrimadas, spokeswoman for the center party Ciudadanos, alleged that Alberto N\u00fa\u00f1ez Feij\u00f3o, the leader the Popular Party, is acting as \u201cinvisible protagonist\u201d of the no-confidence vote by withdrawing from the debate instead of acting as a real leader of the opposition and bringing the vote himself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It seems, indeed, that knowing that the no-confidence has no many political gains to offer to those who take part in it, the Popular Party decided to reap the benefits of abstaining from it. In other words, the Popular Party wanted the vote to take place so as they can put on a cloak of moderation not only before the Spanish people but also before the world by rushing to the Swiss embassy in order to imply more commitment to technocracy and Europe than the other parties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The comments of the ruling coalition figures on the candidacy of Professor Tamames have been faithful to a tradition among Spain\u2019s leftists of cultural reductionism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pedro Sanchez, Spain\u2019s prime minister and leader of PSOE, accused Santiago Abascal, leader of VOX, of hiding his agenda behind the figure of Ram\u00f3n Tamames. \u201cWith your candidacy,\u201d he said addressing Tamames, \u201cyou are supporting a party that rejects equality between men and women.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yolanda Diaz, second deputy PM, reproached Ram\u00f3n Tamames, former leader of the Spanish Communist Party who explained that his candidacy on behalf of VOX is one of his last expressions of love for Spain, for not alluding to women in his speech. Aina Vidal MP of Podemos accused Santiago Abascal of hiding behind Professor Tamames in order not to come out as defeated for a second time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spain\u2019s leftists\u2019 obsession with healing Spain culturally is backfiring against them despite the many progressive gains, under the leadership of Equality Minister Irene Montero, which make Spain today one of the world\u2019s most progressive countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n