The PSOE's regression to the womb

Rubalcaba and Chacón

On Thursday Carme Chacón, the Spanish Defence Minister, stepped out in front of the cameras and announced that she would not contest the leadership of the Spanish Socialist Worker's Party  (PSOE) in the run up to the primaries to replace the incumbent Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. She looked tired, on the verge of tears, as she admitted that she "had put the unity of the party in peril, as well as the stability of the Government" and for this reason she had decided to pull out, leaving the field open for Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba (Home Secretary, Vice-President of the Government and Government Spokesperson) a relic from the Felipe González Socialist Government of the 90s, to become the PSOE candidate for the 2012 elections.

CHOSEN ONE

Yesterday the barons of the PSOE, that is to say regional leaders and mayors of major cities, met in a conference with Zapatero and decided unanimously to back Rubalcaba. Indeed José Blanco, vice-secretary general of the PSOE and current Minister for Development, could barely contain his glee as he announced the decision by the barons to back Rubal (as he is more affectionately known). It is widely expected that today Rubalcaba will announce his candidacy to the Federal Comity of the PSOE. It is widely acknowledged that he will go uncontested. A huge sigh of relief for the PSOE which is reeling from last week's disastrous performance in the municipal elections, facing a bellicose opposition calling for an early election, suffering from depressingly low poll ratings, a truly dire economic situation and eye-grabbing street protests. The very fabric of the party is disintegrating and there is a feeling among many in its upper echelons that even a slight tug could unravel everything. Their priorities for Government are: unity, unity, unity.

CHACÓN PUSHED ASIDE

Such was the fear that the party should appear divided that there was a thinly-veiled campaign within the PSOE to discredit or hide Chacón, the only likely contender to be able to mount a serious challenge. For example in an act, comparable to being airbrushed out of a Communist Party photo, Chacón was pushed out of her normal seat next to the Vice-President during the speech on April 2nd in which Zapatero announced his resignation, to leave just Rubalcaba as the only recognisable face by the Prime Minister's side. These hints and tricks did not work to dissuade Chacón from running, and on Thursday things came to a head as she was called in and dealt with. One can imagine the story being leaked to the media by Malcolm Tucker type and the press conference organised, as he calls for the oblivious Defence Minister to come to his office.

NOTHING LEFT

Zapatero, described once by Slavoj Žižek as the most left wing head of Government in the world has left the party with nothing progressive to its name. Not only has it had to succumb to the pressure of international finance and the Paris-Berlin Axis and impose decidedly regressive economic policies (basically the equivalent of an IMF wet dream), but it has given up on modernity. By choosing Rubalcaba, an old-hat party elder and a decidedly pre-Zapatero figure, and shunning Chacón, a young Catalan woman, we are a world away from the ethic behind forming the first majority-female government. This is further confirmed by lack of proper primaries within the PSOE which shows not only its disdain for the democratic process, but also its fear of it.

The photo of Chacón pointing her finger angrily at one of the Generals (click here) was a particularly powerful image of a new Spain, one which broke with tradition, one which could challenge the old order and even boss it around. Zapatero wanted to mould a Spain in which differences could thrive and to eradicate intolerance, and he did this by challenging the Spanish people and pushing harder and harder against the strong conservative elements in Spanish society. Now, as the PSOE clings to Rubalcaba like a panicked child with his security blanket, this has been completely forgotten.