Loyalists versus democrats

What is the most important political division in Spain? Left versus right? Not exactly, because the right-wing Basque and Catalan nationalists are with the Spanish left. And the supposed “good socialists” are closer to the PP than to Sánchez on the fundamental issue. Well, then the thing is about nationalisms: the peripheral ones against the Spanish. Well, neither, because the “bad socialists” who are with Sánchez love Spain as much as Feijóo or Abascal.

The key fracture is between the legalists – who prioritize respect for the law – and the democrats – who put the will of the ballot box first. Both respect the legal and democratic principles, but when these clash, they opt for antagonistic solutions. Legalists subordinate almost everything to legal predictability, to compliance with the law to the letter, whether due to their training (their leaders are usually lawyers) or psychology (possibly they score high in the personality trait called responsibility or conscientiousness). Democrats submit almost everything to social adaptability, to the fulfillment of the popular will, whether due to their studies (more social sciences than legal) or attitudes (they probably have the personality trait called openness to experience more acute) .

These mentalities collide in the process. Both have weighty arguments. The legalists are right that, if the top leaders of Bavaria declared their independence from Germany, those of Texas from the United States, or those of Roussillon from France, they would be punished with very harsh penalties for wanting to break the territorial integrity inscribed in their constitutional order. . Legal logic, national and comparative, should lead us to punish any attempt at secession exemplarily, without pardons, amnesties or changes to the Penal Code.

But the democrats have a thesis (although they do not explain it) as powerful or more powerful: if practically half of the population, and a solid majority of their parliaments for several terms, in Bavaria, Texas and Roussillon, wanted independence, the leaders Seditionists should be punished, but the penalties would have to be mitigated by the spirit of harmony. With individual crime a State must be tough; with social conflict, generous. Prison does not unite people. Forgiveness, yes.

@VictorLapuente

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