"The incompetence of Spanish politicians can be as lethal as Covid-19". This is the title of a highly-critical article in the Spanish edition of The New York Times which analyzes the role of Pedro Sánchez's government and other politicians in the evolution of the coronavirus pandemic in the Spanish state, especially in the current second wave of infections.
"Nothing has facilitated the spread of the virus so much as their own incompetence," writes David Jiménez, a journalist and former director of Madrid daily El Mundo. Throughout the US newspaper's op-ed, he harshly rebukes the management of the crisis by the Spanish government, as well as the government of the Community of Madrid, led by Isabel Díaz Ayuso.
Partisan struggles that have led to a second wave of contagion
The New York Times article notes how Spaniards complied obediently with the stringent conditions of the country's state of alarm during the first wave of contagion, and now feel something "between impotence and outrage" as they see how all their efforts have been wasted because of "a political class that did not fulfill its part of the deal."
Members of the Spanish government at the meeting of the pandemic monitoring committee, chaired by prime minister Pedro Sánchez / Efe
"While political parties continued to blaming each other for the first wave of the virus, the second was already underway," the journalist comments. In the article, he attributes part of the incompetence to the lack of knowledge and experience of Spanish politicians: "Most reach positions of responsibility with no more experience than their political activism."
How can the incompetence be ended?
As well as making these criticisms, the article in the prestigious American daily proposes "profound reforms" to end Spanish political incompetence. Among them is education, a long-term measure that will not show immediate results but that needs to be worked on, according to Jiménez.
Meanwhile, the journalist also considers that it is necessary to "change the electoral law so that voters choose their representatives on open lists, rethink a territorial organization that has caused great discord between regions and renew government institutions so that they are no longer a means of placing their own politicians and activists in power."
The New York Times article concludes, however, that this will not work until "Spanish leaders are held accountable for their failures and these have political consequences at the polls." "In the next election we should not forget those responsible for the disastrous management of the coronavirus pandemic."
Main image: Spanish PM, Pedro Sánchez, in a joint press appearance with his health minister, Salvador Illa. / EP