Last year, Fundeu and the Royal Academy of Languages announced polarization as the word of the year for 2023. Yet by late January 2024, a different term had begun to circulate in political circles: non-radio. The tension surfaced when La Mancha President Page stated that the PSOE stood outside the Constitution. In a sharp response, Minister Oscar Puente fired back with his characteristic bluntness: the person on the outskirts of PSOE is Page. Núñez Feijóo, a prominent opponent, sided with Page, claiming that “PSOE is outside the Constitution.” The exchange underscored the volatile mix of rhetoric and party politics in Spain’s public sphere.
Two observations emerge from this exchange. First, the term “slums,” used in reference to political space, is rooted in the Real Academia’s sense of being away from the center rather than completely outside it; this interpretation applies not only to national debates but also to municipal concerns. When viewed through this lens, the drama surrounding provocative statements looks less like a strategic rupture and more like a miscommunication that risks spillover into broader political life. In other words, neither PSOE nor Page would be categorized as outside the Constitution, but both operate in zones where missteps could carry consequences for governance.
Second, with rare exceptions, the dominant politics seems driven by those on the political margins, not solely the socialists and the right. Public opinion polls should reflect this reality, inviting demoscopic voices to weigh in on the fatigue with endless parliamentary conflict. The current climate shows Europe calling on figures like Félix Bolaños from the Socialist camp and González Pons from the Popular party to mediate a stalled renewal of the Judicial Council, highlighting how European attention intersects with national governance challenges. The underlying message is clear: the political class struggles to forge consensus when citizens demand steadier moves toward a more functional and fair system.
The situation only grows more striking when examining the broader coalition landscape. The perceived hijacking of Puigdemont’s Junts into the socialist government signals a shift that many observers find unsatisfying, while personal enmities at the top levels of leadership seem to color policy debates. Reports of heated exchanges, including a striking, unfiltered remark about proximity and affection within the leadership circle, illustrate the intensity of the interpersonal dynamics at play. The reality on the ground is that, while party lines remain visible, the human element of politics—how leaders relate to one another and to the public—often governs the pace and direction of policy.
Against this backdrop, a clear divergence emerges between the path elected officials pursue and the priorities voiced by ordinary citizens. Pere Aragonés, heading the Generalitat, continues to prioritize a referendum on self-determination, a stance that stands apart from discussions about drought in Catalonia or the troubling data from the PISA study showing stagnant performance among Catalan students. Meanwhile, Friday’s daily briefings describe red lines that PSOE reportedly cannot cross on the following Monday, underscoring the fragility of negotiations. Moving transfers and shifting coalitions hint at a government that may be teetering under the pressure of competing demands and the risk of instability.
In this environment, it would not be surprising to hear complaints that proposed solutions feel limited, predictable, or insufficient. If a key political figure had not endured an ego-driven crisis that led to the rejection of an executive role and a party’s subsequent decline, the national scene might look different today. A past moment of governability—achieved with 57 MPs in April 2019 but followed by a parliamentary recess—suggests that current conditions are historically fragile. Today, support for certain parties appears to have eroded further, with Podemos showing a continuing downward trajectory. The latest developments, including shifts within Galician regional politics and the potential for new European parliamentary seats for figures like Irene Montero, signal what some call the closing chapters of a wave labeled as “new politics.” The result is a political narrative marked by volatility, realignment, and a stubborn persistence of divides that challenge any steady path toward renewal.