But no country can move forward without politics
Jordi Pujol
Editorial / February 21, 2006
There has been much talk of late about the political crisis – of politicians and politics -, and the need to mobilise civil society. The way the situation has been unfolding in Catalonia recently has increased this feeling, and the mass media and all manner of entities are insisting on it once and again. This bulletin also demands it. For instance, the editorial “The statute will not be sufficient” of February does not refer exclusively to what needs to be done politically, once the Statute has been ratified, but also what civil society will have to do.
This is how it is, and how it has always been. A country with good political leadership but without a consistent social reality – assuming that such a situation is possible – it will not advance and its politicians will fail. On the contrary, a country with bad political leadership but with a strong civil society, that is, one with sound values, cohesion, creative capacity and social leaders, can keep going for years and, depending how, for many years. But it will eventually suffer the consequences of it, and greatly.
A country must have leaders that, without being politicians, influence politics. Whatever the case, of one thing we can be certain is that without politics the action of governing a country and a society has many limitations. I mean with neither politics nor solid and respected institutions.
This has always been so everywhere. Primarily because there are some decisions that only politicians can make. This is precisely the politician’s role: to make decisions in the general public’s interest. Civil society often cannot make them because they are not in possession of the right instruments. In the context of a highly influential civil society, which even conditions the political arena – this is not good either – in the end many decisions must be political. This is not solely because politicians have the legal mechanisms to do this, but also – and especially-, because when politicians tackle problems, they have – or often have —, due to their profession and positioning, a better sense of the common good, a better and more global overview of the common interest than individuals because in civil society the defence of sectorial and partial interests and viewpoints play an important –and often legitimate- role. Even in the loftiest and most justifiable of issues, it frequently has a more narrow-minded outlook than the politician.
All this is more applicable than ever to Catalonia. For at least four reasons.
- Because there is widespread crisis of prestige concerning politicians and politics, especially throughout Europe.
- Because Catalonia is currently going through a moment of uncertainty owing to political and social change.
- For
everything that has taken place as a result of the Statute project, and
with the additional result of Spain’s pressure on and hostility towards
Catalonia.
- And also because, like countless other times we have said, “ The Statute alone will not be sufficient”. And because all this is occurring at a time when Catalonia, as a country, as a society, as a culture and as an economy, finds itself at a crossroads.
Thus all hands will be too few, but all are needed. First and foremost, we will need the help of civil society, which, by the way, is currently experiencing a moment that sharply contrasts with 1979, when the first Statute was passed. Then, civil society, which had borne much of the country’s burden, believed it could stand back and let the politicians take over. Now, the opposite seems to be happening, it feels that although a new Statute is being obtained by political means, civil society once again has an important part to play. This is good news it if believes so. And it should act accordingly. But this support cannot be accompanied by weak political action, or one without consistency or quality. Clearly a large part of this is depends on the politicians. But society must be responsive and do its bit: cultural and citizen entities, the business world and trades unions, the Church, the mass media, everyone. In essence, people.
It is a difficult time. But it is also promising. On the condition that there is concerted global action.
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Few things have made me feel happier over recent months – over these tumultuous months – than when several groups of young people between 17-18 and 30-35 years invited me to speak on the vocation, profession and raison d’être of the politician. Contrary to what many say, I believe a new youth is emerging with sound learning, human quality and eagerness to do. We must know how to separate the grain from chaff and recognise what it is good in politics, and especially what is necessary.
