In the current climate of Spanish politics, voices like Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, who left us too soon, are deeply missed. So too is Miquel Roca Junyent, still available for reason and sound judgment in Barcelona, even though nationalist currents often overlook him. And Joan Manuel Serrat, who stepped back when the nation needed him most, remains a remembered figure for many.
The writer thought of Rubalcaba last week during a discussion about the seemingly endless fires that affected Spain and much of the world over the previous summer. Experts and witnesses shared their analyses, yet the mind wandered between the fires examined in the room and the unsettling blaze playing out in Cortes, where senior government officials described the moment as a plunge into the abyss.
When asked why a chemistry professor had found a path into politics, Rubalcaba, in a recording for the documentary 40 Years of Democracy, offered a vivid analogy from the podium: the chamber could be seen as a periodic table, with noble gases and rare earths in one column, moderate and calm forces in another, and the metals representing dynamic, sometimes brilliant, but also divergent personalities. The takeaway was that politics, like chemistry, blends discipline with human variability, and the public arena thrives on both cooperation and friction among its participants.
Rubalcaba’s comparison of the semicircle to a periodic table invites a broader reflection: Parliament, in difficult days, can resemble a living tableau rather than a mere chamber. The fires in Spain and beyond have underscored how fragile governance can become, yet the nation has not faced events of the scale seen in other countries. Forty years ago, a failed coup attempt left its mark; today, the energy of political debate still carries that legacy, sometimes fueling anxious comparisons and heightened rhetoric.
To distinguish between different kinds of danger, Professor Juan Picos emphasized the need for clarity: it is essential to separate fire, arson, and emergency. The current situation in the legislative chamber is serious, verging on a full emergency in atmosphere if not in action.
The May fire in Siberia has persisted, a warning echoed by Mayte Zaitegui-Pérez of the European Climate Foundation. In the Spanish Congress, the discourse around legitimacy intensified as parliamentary factions debated the government, and the opposition joined the chorus, contributing to a charged atmosphere rather than unity.
Valentín González Formoso, president of the A Coruña State Council, pointed to rural depopulation as a key factor in wildfires, linking abandonment with gaps in prevention. At the same time, broad disinformation fuels a decline in civic engagement, leaving citizens less able to participate effectively in democratic processes. It is a moment when legislative and judicial powers must work toward balance rather than conflict.
Fire remains a constant in history, yet experts note a troubling change. In Galicia, warnings have sounded that homes burn more readily than in the past. Firefighters recount long hours on the front lines, recalling a season when a town faced encroaching flames. The pace of fire now tested governance and public life, raising concerns about how democracy can withstand the pressures of extremism and fear. The hope is to shield democracy from incendiary forces that threaten social cohesion and constitutional order.
In this era, the aim is to address danger with discernment rather than panic. The path forward requires informed debate, practical prevention, and a steady commitment to democratic norms that protect citizens from the worst impulses of desperation and manipulation. The lessons of recent times speak to a need for vigilance, responsibility, and a shared purpose that keeps the flame of democracy burning without being consumed by it.