Good politicians

What defines a good politician? Honesty, clarity, effectiveness, honesty ... the list of possible adjectives that citizens bring to light when asked about it is infinite. But in a democracy the work of a politician can be summed up above all in two tasks: to represent the interests of citizens and to solve those problems that fall within the state public sphere.


The beginning of 2018 brings a new phase in the cycle of deeper political change in Spanish democracy. This cycle already lasts more than three years, so it seems logical to submit the new parties and their leaders for evaluation: have they been, are they being good politicians? It could be said that the result is mixed: they are in the representation dimension, not so much in the problem solving. And it is that in a fragmented, multiparty environment, who is very good at maintaining the trench will not be so much finding alternatives, because they require mestizo agreements.

It is easy to blame parties and leaders for this dynamic, but we would do well to look in the mirror before getting rid of responsibility. And if it turns out that we are the voters we prefer extremely representative politicians, defenders of our positions, even at the cost of seeking agreements?

There are plenty of examples. In the 21-D elections, the polls rewarded polarization. The recent rise of Citizens in state polls responds to the greater firmness expressed in their positions, while in the past their inclination for negotiation did not find too many fans. We, meanwhile, began to sink into the polls when its position on a key issue such as national sovereignty became diffuse, changing and contradictory.

Representative politicians are essential: without them, no one would have identified the aspirations for change that were beating in Spain in the last decade. But partisanship is a drug as addictive as treacherous, because it prevents the consolidation of the demanded changes.