¡No pasarán! The crisis of conservatism.

Yesterday, we had some unexpected news from Europe.

The Socialist Party prime minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, after a disastrous result in May's local elections, called a snap election for Parliament.

The opposition Popular Party, with roots in the Franco regime of the late 20th century, saw its chance to take back power after Sánchez unceremoniously ripped it from it five years earlier. It made the election a referendum on "sanchismo". 

There was a slight hiccup. In no way would the PP be able to win enough seats to govern on its own. It would have to depend on votes from Vox. 

What is Vox? It is anti-immigrant. It is derisive of climate change. And it scoffs at the idea that femicide is an issue in Spain. It is a far-right party which should be allowed nowhere near the levers of power in a modern Western democracy.

Yes. A "mainstream" conservative party was willing to do a deal with a far-right fascist party in order to gain power.

But the reports of the Left's demise in Spain were premature. The Socialists actually gained two seats. Its partner, Sumar, lost seats, but not many. And Vox lost nineteen seats. That performance by Vox robbed PP leader Albert Núñez Feijóo of power. The Socialists are favored to form a government to keep Vox out of power. And if not, then there will be Christmas elections. Just from my own leanings, that would be a detriment to the right.

Then this came to me, via our old friend Rational Left:

A big moment in German politics, this: CDU leader Friedrich Merz opens the door to cooperation with the AfD at municipal level. A hammer blow to the supposedly impenetrable "firewall" between mainstream and far-right in 🇩🇪. https://t.co/vpZuQhTwhs

— Jeremy Cliffe (@JeremyCliffe) July 23, 2023

Alternativ fur Deutschland is an extreme right-wing party in Germany, bordering on being neo-Nazi. It has its base of support in the East, which never dealt with the Nazi past. But Merz sees a path to cooperation.

This is the crisis of conservatism. We have seen it here in the US for the past few decades, as the Republican Party has become more extreme in its right-ward lean. Today's GOP is, quite frankly, fascist. We've seen this in France, where Marine Le Pen's National Rally could enter government in the next elections as part of a coalition. Conservative parties are facing a demographic catastrophe, as the youth are firmly liberal-left, and their older supporters are dying off. In a quest for power, the "mainstream" conservative position veers closer to outright fascism. It knows if it doesn't make common cause with the far-right, it will never taste power again. And rather than go into principled opposition and rebuild its base, it absorbs the fringe right to assume power.

This is not a movement with the wind at its back. This is a movement knowing that its mode of politics is on the way out. Confronted by the climate crisis, by the rise of authoritarianism, it chooses to adopt those positions in order to remain relevant. But the far-right isn't relevant. It's the home of the reactionaries who see the world slipping from them, and will become increasingly violent to stop that. By granting them legitimacy, as the Spanish Popular Party was prepared to do, mainstream conservatives condemn themselves to a political wilderness in a West which wants no truck with fascism. These actions are of a movement fully aware that its time is done, and wants one more grab at power to save the situation.

Spain's result was a shot across the bow. Have no doubt: Fascism was defeated yesterday. And any idea that there are "principled" conservatives died. They shall not pass.

***

Like what you're reading? Never miss another post! Get notified via email here.

Donate at the link below to keep us going.