And the Oracle, that is, Sánchez, said: “We will present the budgets in 2026 and there will be elections in 2027 and there will not be elections together with the municipal and regional ones.” And believers and atheists, insiders and outsiders, marveled at what they heard. And the Oracle, that is, Sánchez, added with an enigmatic smile: “Reality is very dynamic, Carlos.”
Everyone continued to marvel, but a little more confused. No one asked who Carlos was. Much less did they ask about the “dynamism” of reality. “It’s obvious: reality is dynamic, of course, of course; reality moves, that must be it,” they said to each other in their respective sanhedrins, not quite knowing what the Oracle meant or sensing that, when the time came, he would do whatever he wanted.
The Oracle spoke and no one disputed his words because, one way or another, he is going to be right. The acolytes always made it clear that the boss should not be contradicted because that’s what he is the boss for, and besides, he knows much more than all of them. The enemies did not change their tactics because, if they used the tactic of immobility, it would not be noticeable that they needed time to decipher the arcane. To rush to criticize the Oracle without data was already suicidal on other occasions.
So no one asked what would happen if the much-handled General State Budgets (PGE) —the ones for 2027, of course— were not approved. Would Sánchez call elections in 2026 if the Cortes rejected his PGE? It depends, said his exegetes. He won’t dare, said the Pharisees who harassed him, although with the hope that he would. The Oracle maintained his smile. Enigmatic, yes.
So no one had the audacity to make him swear —even if it was on Snoopy— that the general elections, whatever happened, would be scheduled for the summer of 2027. Because what Sánchez had always said was: “I will finish the legislature.” And what does it mean to exhaust the legislature? To reach the last day from the elections or from the constitution of the Cortes? Or to call them in January because, after all, we will already be in 2027, the last year of the legislature?
In reality, the Oracle said nothing that was not already known. Let’s make the shopping list to check it: 1) Will he present the PGE in 2026? Yes, that’s easy; 2) Will they be approved? Rest assured they won’t; 3) Will there be elections in 2026 or 2027? Unless there is a true judicial catastrophe for the PSOE and its relatives, bet on 2027; 4) When? In July, in February or in March, as some ‘leftist’ media are already speculating? That’s very fine-tuning but, vote up or down, it won’t have much significance either; 5) Is it true that the elections will not coincide with the regional and local ones? That’s clear: no. It would be the definitive suicide of the PSOE in the few local strongholds it has left. So they can already take May off Pedro Sánchez’s electoral calendar.
But all of that was already known, even that “reality is dynamic.” The fact is that with a future closed six months ahead, the PSOE shows increasing desperation and the PP infinite anxiety. My doorman feels sorry for them because, as she tells me, “son, what a bad face everyone is getting.” And she is right.
Some suffer because they will have to leave power and their perks. But someday it had to happen to them, right? Isn’t alternation the basis of a healthy democracy? The others also suffer because they can’t wait to oust someone who was smarter than them to gain support in Congress. And they keep presenting motions in Congress that it remains to be seen who will support. In any case, is there much difference between February and July 2027? And is it worth continuing to give that sad image of a political beggar in search of the alms of nationalists and extremists?
Beyond situational political or procedural circumstances, when I look at the current political quality, I have the feeling that the system only holds up because of the group sense we citizens/voters have. Sometimes I feel that when I talk about politics with someone, I am actually talking about football. We are fans of politics, even if we deny it. Our team/party is always right. Our team/party goes out to the field/parliament to crush, not to convince. Our team/party does everything right and, of course, our captain is the best leader in the world. If others do not accept all this, we tell ourselves, the members of the horde that —since they are fundamentally inferior and do not deserve to govern, neither now nor ever— we will have to make them see reason, if necessary by force.
This puts us in front of a troubling reflection: if the objective of politicians is to crush the opponent by all means, if their goal as parties is to perpetuate themselves in power no matter what, democracy will be their next victim, the victim of a whole society that allows this drift. It already is. We see it increasingly in more countries where ‘populist’ proposals based on shouting louder absurd proposals advance. And they continue to grow.
For these neopolitians, democracy is not that system in which victory is kindly granted to the opponent, wishing them the best for their four years of government and warning them that a firm but loyal and polite opposition will be made. Democracy, for them, is the system they can take advantage of to do whatever they want, even commit crimes, without that having consequences for them (ask Trump, for example).
The fact is that we remain as we were, if you remember. The partners of the president of the Government continue to pluck the daisy and the opposition maintains the pressure. All according to plan: elections in 2027. The Oracle has spoken. For now.