In all the years that I have worked for the Gazette I have never made known my personal political preference in local politics concerning the Elecciones Municipales.
However, I will not forgive myself if I do not express my reservations about how politics are evolving in Spain and about the emergence of one particular party.
A new party is sweeping Spain that is a throwback to the 1930s which is tapping into populist feeling and it represents a regression into a dark corner that my parents’ generation believed they had defeated.
These people come to power democratically, prospering where political uncertainty exists, pointing to a scapegoat for all a country’s ills. They say that they want to take us back to better times, make us proud, belonging to a great nation, to a position of strength.
Hitler said that he would expunge the shame of defeat from the Great War, Mussolini spoke of reinstalling the glory of the Roman Empire… But our parents left it too late because these powers could have been defeated at the polls; instead they had to go through five years of bitter war.
On Sunday, if you can and do vote, you can do your part to stop history repeating itself. It doesn’t matter who you vote for as long as you don’t vote for 1930s 2.0.
(Editorial comment: Local elections)
Thank you for your article. My family lost good men on both sides in the twentieth century world wars and then suffered under communism. Nationalism is anathema to me. The last refuge of the political scoundrel. Being patriotic is fine, but nationalism excludes the fact that we are all ordinary human beings whatever country we are born in and have more in common than we realise. Therefore I am a proud European. The polling station was full this morning and many foreign residents were voting too, although sadly the British probably for the last time. I hope that the far right doesn’t do well, whether in Spain or Britain.
Sir, I do not always agree with what is written in the Seaside Gazette. Quite rightly you are Pro Europe and why not; Spain is in this Organisation.
I do agree that the Political Parties should be closely looked at before making a choice, most being blatently Corrupt, but any that hanker after a regime similar to Hitler’s must be shunned.
Not being pro EU which I find bordering on that kind of regime, A Federal States. I will tend toward a party which wishes to curtail some of the EU power.
Sincerely J C Dymond.
Your comment is from the heart and I give you my total respect.
People are too easily deceived. It’s too easy to be lazy and unquestioning of the simple soundbite.
Let us show our undying respect for those who suffered and gave their lives to fight fascism.
What short memories we have. All our children and grandchildren wherever we were born deserve an end to the madness which seem to be infecting the world.