Spanish Political Party System at the Crossroads

1358
DOI: 10.20542/0131-2227-2017-61-4-71-80

S. Khenkin (sergkhenkin@mail.ru),
Moscow State Institute of International Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russian Federation (MGIMO University), 76, Vernadskogo Prosp., Moscow 119454, Russian Federation;
Institute of Scientific Information on Social Sciences, Russian Academy of Sciences (INION RAS), 51/21, Nakhimovskii Prosp., Moscow 117418, Russian Federation

Abstract. The Spanish party system experienced a radical transformation over the years of global crisis. Bipartidism has been dominating in political life for about 30 years. Two political parties – center-left Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) and the People’s Party (PP) replaced each other in power significantly outrunning all other parties in the extent of influence. The existing practice helped to maintain the societal stability and governability. The trend has changed in the latest years as the cumulative potential of both parties has decreased. The December 2015 parliamentary elections were an electoral “earthquake”. Both parties received 50.7% of the vote, what was one third less than in 2011 (74.3%). A crisis of confidence in political parties is revealed not only through electoral evaluation of their policies. A substantial societal protest potential accumulated in the country and was expressed by two new political parties – Podemos and Ciudadanos – which over a short period of time have noticeably surpassed the PP and PSOE ending the bipartidism. At the same time, the vices of all parties are often reproduced in the performance of the new ones. For example, Podemos claiming the intention to avoid bureaucratism turns into a centralized party resembling the Caudillo-style party traditional for Spain. After December 2015 elections, the balance of forces was such that the formation of a new government was impossible without an agreement between four main parties. Since party leaders prioritized narrow party interests, ambitions and electoral calculations over the national ones, they failed to form the government. The June 2016 extraordinary elections were the result. The minority government of the Popular Party was formed only after the elections. It became possible due to the change of the PSOE stance, which used to be in firm opposition but abstained in a confidence vote to PP leader Mariano Rajoy. PSOE itself faced an acute crisis. The change from the two-party system to a multiparty one leads to a radical change in the format and rhetoric of the Spanish politics. An insufficiently developed culture of dialogue and compromise becomes an imperative for societal governability. All politicians despite their ideological and political orientations have to withstand a serious psychological test, learn to survive in new conditions and agree with each other. The time of political turmoil has come to Spain. Real multiparty system is better adapted to the country’s difficult and dynamic reality. But it increases multiple political risks and makes development prospects less certain and predictable. 

Keywords: Spain, People’s Party, Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party, Podemos, Ciudadanos, Indignant Movement, parliamentary elections, electorate 


REFERENCES

1. Molinas C. Que hacer con España: Del capitalismo castizo a la refundación de un pais. Barcelona, Ediciones Destino S. A., 2013. 302 p.

2. Diez propuestas para mejorar la calidad de la democracia en España [Informe Funciva]. Madrid, Editorial Biblioteca Nueva, S.L., 2014. 187 p.

3. Resultados. Elecciónes generales de 2016. Available at: http: resultados.elpais.com/elecciones/generales.html# (accessed 5.09.2016).

4. Se puede gobernar desde el Parlamento? El Diario, 21.10.2016. Available at: http://www.eldiario.es/politica/Cortes-aprobada-leyes-tercio-decreto ley_0_570793832.html (accessed 03.10.2016).

5. Urquizu I. La crisis de representación en España. Madrid, Catarata, 2016. 174 p.

6. Gomez M. V. El paro cierra 2015 con una bajada record: 678.200 desempleados menos. El País, 28.01.2016. Available at: http://economia.elpais.com/economia/2016/01/28/empleo/1453966009_115531.html (accessed 12.05.2016).

7. García-Campos J.M. Ranking de desempleo juvenil en Europa: España, lider con 49.6%. La Vanguardia, 13.06.2015. Available at: http://www.lavanguardia.com/vangdata/20150613/54432243021/ranking-de-desempleo-juvenil-en-europa/espana-lider-con-el-49-6.html (accessed 8.08.20160).

8. Orlov A.A. Klyuchevye problemy sovremennoi Ispanii [Key Problems of Modern Spain]. Iberoamerikanskie tetradi, 2016, no. 1, pp. 9-14.

9. Prieto J. Una derecha a la derecha de la derecha. El País, 05.02.2014. Available at: http://sociedad.el pais.com/sociedad/2014/02/05/actualidad/1391634415_607580.html (accessed 06.02.2014).

10. Ahora. Periódico semanal independiente de política, economía y cultura, 29.04.2016. Available at: http://www.ahorasemanal.es/por-que-queremos-la-regeneracoion-del-partido-popular (accessed 5.05.2016).

11. Un plan para crecer. El País, 23.10.2015. Available at: http://elpais.com/elpais/2015/10/22/opinion/1445536215_870624.html (accessed 01.11.2015).

12. Khenkin S. Ispania v poloce turbulentnosti [Spain in Zone of Turbulence]. Mirovaya ekonomika i mezdunarodnye otnosheniya, 2012, no. 4, pp. 71-80.

13. Podemos. Deconstruyendo a Pablo Iglesias. Barcelona, Centro Libros PARF, S.L.U. 2014. 205 p.

14. Podemos. La admiración de Pablo Iglesias por la Venezuela de Hugo Chavez. ABC, 24.06.2014. Available at: http://www.abc.es/espana/20140624/abci-pablo-iglesias-venezuela-podemos-201406240852.html (accessed 25.06.2014).

15. Andruchevich P. Pridut li marksisty k vlasti v Ispanii [Will the Marxists Come to Power in Spain?] Available at: http://slon.ru/world/pridut_li_marksisty_k_vlasti_v_ispanii-1209346.xhtml (accessed 20.01.2015).

16. Spanish Leftists: from Radicals to Centrists (In Russ.). Available at: www.dw.com/ru/испанские-леваки-из-радикалов-в-центристы/a-18446417 (accessed 22.02.2015).

17. Iglesias P. Una nueva transición. 19.07.2015. Available at: http://elpais.com/2015/07/18/opinion/1437241756_050702.html (accessed 25.07.2015).

18. Fernandez-Albertos J. Los votantes de Podemos. Del partido de los indignados al partido de los excluidos. Madrid, Fundacion Alternativas, 2015. 110 p.

19. Тamames R. Podemos? Un viaje de la nada hacia el poder. Madrid, Kailas Editorial, S.L., 2015. 212 p.

20. Barraycoa J. Doble abdicación. Barcelona, Stella Maris, 2014. 254 p.

21. Rivera A. Ciudadanos, un proyecto para España. El País, 19.04.2015. Available at: http://elpais.com/elpais/2015/04/17/opinion/1429282648_608818.html (accessed 05.02.2016).

22. Elecciónes generales 2011. Madrid, Centro de investigaciones Sociológicas, 2014. 262 p.

23. Garcia-Page M. No hay que tenerle miedo al comité federal. El País, 01.09.2016. Available at: http://politica.elpais.com/politica/2016/09/01/actualidad/1472739584_409488./html (accessed 05.09.2016).

24. Claudio de Ramón J. El PSOE y su desgarro. El País, 20.10.2016. Available at: http://elpais/2016/10/18/opinion/1476786933_919168.html (accessed 06.09.2016).

25. Podemos capto 1.5 millones de votos del PSOE y 505.000 del PP. Available at: http://www.elmundo.es/espana/2016/02/08/56b7a319268e3ea6578b463e.html (accessed 12.10.2016).

26. Susana Diaz: Necesitamos que se resuelva rápidamente la gobernabilidad en España. ABC, 19.10.2016. Available at: http://sevilla.abc.es/andalucia/sevi-susana-diaz-necesitamos-resuelva-rapidamente-gobernabilidad-201610191258_noticia.html (accessed 20.10.2016).

27. Divisiones en Podemos. El País, 08.10.2016. Available at: http://elpais/2016/10/06/opiniuon/1475775643_927456.html (accessed 10.10.2016). 


Registered in System SCIENCE INDEX

For citation:
Khenkin S. Spanish Political Party System at the Crossroads. World Eсonomy and International Relations, 2017, vol. 61, no. 4, pp. 71-80. https://doi.org/10.20542/0131-2227-2017-61-4-71-80



Comments (0)

No comments

Add comment







Indexed

 

 

 

 

Dear authors! Please note that in the VAK List of peer-reviewed scientific journals, in which the main scientific results of dissertations for the degree of candidate and doctor of sciences should be published for the “MEMO Journal” the following specialties are recorded:
economic sciences:
5.2.5. World Economy.
5.2.1. Economic Theory
5.2.3. Regional and Branch Economics
political sciences:
5.5.4. International Relations
5.5.1. History and Theory of Politics
5.5.2. Political Institutions, Processes, Technologies

 

Current Issue
2024, vol. 68, No. 3
Topical Themes of the Issue:
  • Bretton Woods 2.0: Towards a New Global Financial Architecture
  • Transformation of the EU Political Party System on the Eve of the 2024 European Election
  • South Asia in Regional and World Politics
Submit an Article
INVITATION FOR PUBLICATION
The Editorial Board invites authors to write analytical articles on the following topics:
  • changes in the processes of globalization in modern conditions
  • formation of the new world order
  • shifts in civilization at the stage of transition to a digital society

The editors are also interested in publishing synthesis articles / scientific reviews revealing the main trends in the development of certain regions of the world - Latin America, Africa, South Asia, etc.