Replies

A good way to keep Spaniards under tension has been the regional Nationalist parties, always asking for more money and privileges over the rest of us. The electoral campaigns are centered on such proposals so the real problems of the Spaniards (low income, political corruption, inoperant justice, etc) are left in a second position.

María San Gil, for instance, was aggreded by Nationalists from Galicia.

This usual tactic inside the Spanish Strategy of Tension has also been utilized recently in order to make the Socialist party regain some prestige before the average Spaniard after the negotiations with ETA.

Last September, Catalonian Nationalists burnt a picture of the king, which is forbidden by Spanish law. The government took advantage of that showing a tough line against regional Nationalists, a tough line unseen in three and a half years.

The burning of the first picture was carried out a few hundred meters from where the king was, well inside the security perimeter. Reporters were ready to take the picture.

It was all a staging.

We should not forget that the same Catalonian regional Nationalists that burnt a picture of the king inside the security perimeter and in front of ready-to-take-the-picture reporters, contribuited to the 2004 National Election campaign with a meeting with the leaders of ETA, a meeting leaked by the Spanish Secret Service, that polarized the public opinion a few weeks before 3/11.

At this point, one cannot but conclude, that most regional Nationalist parties if not all, are a way of tensioning the public opinion to avoid talking on the real issues that affect Spaniards, and probably they are controlled in some way or another, by secret structures.

The fact that new of such parties are popping up in regions where the right wing popular party is in the government and their funding is undisclosed, contributes to such idea.

Also, a relatively novel way of tensioning the public opinion this year has been a confrontation with the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church has adopted a more beligerant approach and they own a radio news channel that dares to critize this government.