1
González (left) and Tierno-Galván (right),
The old contenders swept away as their parties debate unity
July 1985
After a year in government as junior partners,
The Spanish Socialists wonder about their future
CONTEXT: Smashed into oblivion by Franco's repression, Spanish socialists struggled to revive themselves as a coherent force in the early 70's, in stark contrast to the now declining Communists (PCE). No less than three main Socialist parties fought for control in the 1977 contest, achieving a combined 22%. Eight years after the first democratic election, the two surviving parties remain stuck in 19% - after a high water mark of 24% in 81' - and less than 50 seats, eclipsed by the surge of Carlism as the leading force of the Spanish left as a whole.
Four successive election defeats have finally broken the hold of Felipe González (PSOE) and Enrique Tierno-Galván (PSP) in their respective parties, thus crushing the cordon sanitaire against Carlos Hugo. Both parties, once contenders to lead, now serve as junior coalition partners to Carlism. With both leaders retired (but not silent), their heirs and replacements (PSOE's Alfonso Guerra and PSP's Raúl Morodo) have begun to discuss the future: can the Socialist movement in Spain truly afford the split in two parties? Although many resent the other party, a growing view suggests that only through unity can a meaningful left-wing alternative to Carlism take hold.
Thus, after a (rocky) first year in coalition government, both the PSP and PSOE Party Congresses are debating a unity motion, one that would merge both parties into a single unified socialist party. The stage is set for a potentially fateful succession.
The Dilemma:
Yes: By approving the merge, PSP and PSOE join forces in a single socialist party (PSE), pooling their 46 seats into a stronger coalition partner that can more efficient counter the Carlists. Proponents of the merge argue that four successive governments have failed to allow either party to succeed, being kept merely as a less successful alternative to Eurocommunism under Carrillo and now Titoist Carlism under Carlos Hugo. Thus, they argue, a unified party will be in a far better position to provide a more orthodox left-wing alternative, one more secular and, perhaps, more republican that the Red Berets.
No: By opposing the merge, PSP and PSOE continue their own separate road, remaining partners in government and gearing up for another direct contest in the next election for supremacy. Opponents of the merge point out that both parties appeal to different voters (the PSOE being more working-class, PSP more middle-class) and may not necessarily consolidate all that support in a single entity. They also suggest that the combination of views could dilute ideological coherence. Finally, the Izquierda Republicana, itself a junior partner to the PSP, is also likely not to join in, finding the PSOE too monarchist still for its taste.
Two days.
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1.) Original Image: Wikimedia Commons.
Poll
