The short-cut is politics

Opportune because we are living through a time of widespread uncertainty and crisis. Economic and political crisis, both in Catalonia and in Spain. There is also evidence of the non-feasibility of our dual project to assert Catalonia’s rights and her positive cohabitation within the framework of the Spanish state, and we are witnessing a lack good internal administration and a disorientation and loss of self-esteem in Catalonia herself.

All told, a worrying loss of prestige and political credibility, which is especially serious at present. Because our foundation believes in and defends the idea that moral effort is needed to surmount these problems, Catalonia needs to recover her positive values and attitudes, through in-depth action, like the action of a slow but penetrating drizzle. Moreover, there are times when – without abandoning in-depth action – we need to take a short cut. Because time is against us and serious threats lay ahead.

And the short cut is politics. This may comes as a surprise in these adverse times for politics and from one who preaches Catalonia’s need to bolster herself in the field of ideas, values and attitudes – what we term IVA. But urgencies are urgencies, and when an urgency arises, it must be tackled with whatever is at hand, be it scarce or plentiful. So we must take the short cut. And that short-cut is politics.

We refer not to systematic political confrontation, nor to seeing who can smear whom. It is most harmful for a country to disseminate a dual belief in the political arena, namely, that the aim of a party is not to present a project and draw up a programme, but to destroy its adversary, and that to this end what is needed is not to defeat it with proposals and projects but to smear it, with little regard as to whether the line of reasoning is true or false.

Hence, it should be clear that this class of politics must be constructive, based on proposals and drawn up by credible people. The prevailing scepticism today may make people believe that there is no-one credible in politics. This is untrue. There are credible people in politics, honourable people and people with a true calling to public office. And there are people capable of leading a country. Capable of guiding us successfully along the political short-cut.

But first they need to free themselves from the morbid climate that has been created. A climate that in part has been fostered by corrupt and destructive politicians, and in part has arisen from the failures of civil society itself, and exacerbated in part by the mass media. In other words, we are all to blame. Perhaps the politicians most of all, as they have the added responsibility of being servers of the public interest. But, on the other hand, everyone must know that for this very reason, because of their accountability, they must be treated with resolve, but also with equanimity. We must single out those who are constructive from those who are naturally destructive.

                                       -----------------------------------

The revival of a positive and constructive role for politics is pressing. By the same token, society needs to assume its share of the blame for what is happening.  And united by a renewed sense of the common good – and by what we might call mutual commiseration and a mutual exigency – society and politicians together can amend the situation. It is possible. In this very editorial we have often set out our assets, our strong points. These we have and they are many. We need to remember them and believe in them, and not let them be checked by so much “no culture” and self-destructive spirit.

At a time like this it is good to look to the reasoning and moral testimonies that helped us through extremely difficult situations a few decades ago. It is good to return to what we may call our classics. To Joan Sales, for example. In his literary work, and above all for his fortitude and demanding spirit, the fruit of his patriotism, faith and humanism, which was never self-complacent, neither with himself nor with Catalonia. He said, regarding our people, that it was necessary “to keep both issues of drama and self-complacency at bay.” We can also look to Salvador Espriu, who told us that to get ourselves through trying times we need to accept our own condition “and turn it into a moral strength of identification, resistance, loyalty to people, and – also– interpellation to counter those who seek wrongdoing, to those who besiege us”.
                                            --------------------

Reform is possible. We have many assets, which still work. Perhaps they are less evident than other more scandalous things, but they are more important. However, all that grows and works well must be freed from the gloom that hangs over this country. It needs a renewed drive, a more clearly defined horizon and enthusiasm. This falls to all of us. It is urgent. And because it is urgent, we need to recover everything that is positive in politics.

Because now the short-cut is politics.