If you want to save yourself from giving explanations, attack!

PalmaThe Government control session at the Parliament plenary stopped being about control a long time ago; it does not just come from this legislature. Now it is a boxing ring, a battlefield, where the one who lands the strongest dialectical punch wins, only to later show on social media how witty these politicians are. The rules are lax: bad jokes, offensive pranks, absurd comments, and repetitions ad infinitum are admitted. In view of the state of things, it is a good time to recognize those citizens who listen to the Parliament plenary sessions – in person or via YouTube – with the hope of finding an example of constructive politics.

The Minister of Housing, Territory and Mobility, José Luis Mateo, is a good example of this. His management was the subject of practically half of the questions in the control session (he had to answer 9, out of a total of 19). He has had bad luck... He has the trendy ministry, and housing will largely determine the result of the general elections on November 29. Given the situation, Mateo opted to attack and discredit his opponent in most of his initial responses. Regarding his explanations, they can be summarized in the phrase he repeats every week: “We are working for the people here”. As Pablo Picasso said, “inspiration exists, but it has to find you working”. Perhaps the minister wants to actively wait for the muses.

“Do you believe that Marga Prohens’ Government guarantees the right of the elderly to continue living in their own homes?”, asked PSIB deputy Omar Lamin. “Mr. Lamin, to begin with, we must wait, because you spent eight years dedicated to having no housing policy,” was Mateo’s initial response. “What does it mean for the Government for a home to be affordable? At 2,000, 3,000, 4,000, 5,000 euros per m2, are those affordable homes?”, was the question from Més per Menorca deputy Joana Gomila. “Our concept of affordable housing is precisely our response to the citizens and families of the Balearic Islands so they can develop their life projects. And it has to do with all the programs and all the measures aimed at offering affordable housing for the local people, at prices lower than market rates. Well, a whole set of initiatives that, during your eight years of government, precisely shone by their absence.” Here, Mateo combined the non-answer with an attack. “Mr. Mateo (...), I must ask you if you intend to do anything to stop speculation,” demanded MÉS per Mallorca deputy Ferran Rosa during his turn to question. “Look, Mr. Rosa, it has been three years since we should have been reaping the fruits of your housing policy, but nothing at all in housing policy, nothing at all,” said Mateo, sticking to his guns. Some of us still do not know if he plans to do anything to stop speculation, but we suspect that this will not be one of his inspirations.

A minute of silence... for common sense

Tuesday’s plenary session already began with an uproar, without any prior escalation. The PSIB demanded a minute of silence for the death of Maricarmen. This is where a rather clumsy psychological game comes in. First of all, I must clarify that unanimity is required to hold a minute of silence. In this way, the PSIB proposed it knowing it would not have unanimity. Maricarmen’s eviction took place after more than seven years of Pedro Sánchez’s government. Wouldn’t an act of contrition be necessary before this staging? Vox fell into the provocation without any problem and gave much more resonance to the socialists’ proposal. “We oppose it because we will not enter into the absurd performances of the left,” said the spokesperson for the extreme right, Manuela Cañadas, with overacted indignation – she usually spends the hours that the plenary lasts with an air of overacted indignation.

While watching the film, the PP deputies only had to eat popcorn. The pity is that, often, when delicate topics are discussed, the conservatives, whether they are from the parliamentary group or members of the Government, tend to laugh openly. It is enough to be in the plenary hall to verify it, not without a certain astonishment.

That being the case, I want to put on the table the possibility of calling a minute of silence for parliamentary common sense, because its state is critical and the proximity of the state elections may end what little is left of it. This is well demonstrated by the opinion article written by the President of the Parliament, Gabriel Le Senne, in his capacity as president of Vox Balears: “The date [the November 29 elections] is historic because, if we fail, it is likely that we will not have other democratic elections again”. Yes, sir. Let them not say that he did not warn that a social-communist dictatorship with touches of Maduro's Venezuela was approaching. In the plenary session, the Minister of Education, Antoni Vera, proclaimed that we are “closer and closer to freedom, because (...) the citizens will cancel them at the polls [the socialists]”. Of course, because now the citizens are subjugated, doing forced labor, under a curfew... It is lucky that Vera has faith that freedom will return. Even so, he can say whatever he likes in Parliament, session after session.

To finish, I would like to make a reminder. On October 14, the National Police assaulted students at the Complutense University. At this point, it is worth remembering that the socialists have also not repealed the Gag Law during these two legislatures, despite having explicitly committed to doing so. A right-wing government approved it and the most progressive government in history kept it.