1. www.elpais.com EL PERIÓDICO GLOBAL EN ESPAÑOL TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2011
ENGLISH EDITION WITH THE INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE
Socialists lose
IU support in
Extremadura
Leftist party leaders mull action against
rebels as PP prepares to take office
EL PAÍS word,” said IU leader Cayo Lara,
Madrid who explained that helping the
conservative PP to govern “goes
The Socialists on Monday lost against party policy.” Some in
the only region they had hoped the IU were calling for Lara’s
to retain after their disastrous resignation.
defeat at the May 22 ballot box Pedro Escobar, the IU chief
when local leaders of the United in Extremadura, insisted that he
Left (IU) decided to withdraw had not broken the party’s rules,
their support for the ruling par- arguing that there was a “prob-
ty and allow the Popular Party lem with trusting” the Social-
(PP) to take office. ists. Escobar said he will not
The surprise move by IU lead- take back his decision. “Let me
ers in Extremadura has upset be clear: the IU didn’t give any-
the party’s national leaders, thing to the PP, only that they
who will meet today to see what get to keep their seats,” he said.
disciplinary measures should be Meanwhile, the outgoing So-
taken. cialist regional premier, Guiller-
“Expulsion is a very strong mo Fernández Vara, who tried
to drum up support from the IU
to remain in office, asked his
Spain won’t party to respect the United Left
members’ decisions. ZOOMING IN ON A GENIUS. David Douglas Duncan, the 95-year-old photographer who had unprecedent-
need bailout, After 28 years of Socialist
rule in Extremadura, José Anto-
ed access to Pablo Picasso, was present as 115 of his photographs were shown at the Picasso Museum in Málaga
on Monday. “Picasso said he was a fantastic photographer, so discreet that you forgot he was there. By not
says economy nio Monago of the PP is expect-
ed to be sworn in as the regional
getting in the way when Picasso was in his studio, he was able to take pictures no other photographer had ever
been permitted to,” said the painter’s daughter-in-law, Christine Ruiz-Picasso. / julián rojas
minister premier in the coming weeks.
However, the IU’s regional coun-
EL PAÍS, Madrid
cil voted to abstain from attend-
ing the ceremonies.
The IU has formed governing
Picasso heir refuses to allow
While European finance minis-
ters met in Luxembourg to dis-
cuss extending emergency
coalitions with the PP in 19
towns across Extremadura. On
June 13, Lara warned IU local
Civil War pieces to be shown
loans to Greece, Economy Min- bosses about partnering with
ister Elena Salgado reaffirmed the conservatives. The Socialists SERGIO MELLADO glas Duncan, and Vignettes on the Picasso complained about their
on Monday that Spain will not claim that in at least 60 munici- Málaga front were due to be unveiled in inclusion, saying she had no
be the next in line to seek aid. palities across Spain there were unison but Ruiz-Picasso, the hon- knowledge of the showing, and
“There has been turbu- signs of the PP and IU helping What was billed as a momentous orary president of the museum’s called the decision an “opportu-
lence over the past several each other to keep them from occasion for the Picasso Museum foundation, refused to allow the nistic political use [of the work]
weeks and evidently it would governing in city halls. The IU of Málaga on Monday turned into latter to go ahead. The pieces, il- in a period of electoral controver-
have been desirable if we made important gains on May a bitter war of words between the lustrations against the military sy.” The Socialist Andalusian re-
would have reached a much 22 after taking ballots from tra- celebrated Spanish painter’s uprising in 1936 that were to be gional culture chief, Paulino Pla-
more immediate agreement ditional leftist voters who be- daughter-in-law, Christine Ruiz- sold to raise funds at the Spanish ta, countered that “all the mem-
[on Sunday]. But I think the lieve the Socialists have veered Picasso, and the organizers of Republic’s stand at the Paris Ex- bers of the Picasso Museum Foun-
markets know perfectly how away from their party’s philoso- two temporary exhibitions. po, are part of a series of etchings, dation” knew of the inclusion of
to distinguish one country phy. Continued on page 3 The shows, Picasso creates. The Dream and Lie of Franco. the works and denied any “parti-
from another; they know that See EDITORIAL Page 2 Through the camera of David Dou- In a handwritten letter, Ruiz- san or opportunistic” intent.
we are making the reforms
that our country needs, and
Madrid, Brasilia to
that we are undergoing fiscal
consolidation. So therefore I
do not think there should be
offer G20 aid model
concern about Spain,” she
said.
The ministers’ decision to
delay approving emergency
loans to Greece rattled the P. X. DE SANDOVAL, Madrid Zapatero led to a bilateral initia-
markets across Europe. The tive that sidestepped the World
Ibex 35 dropped 0.96 percent, A pilot project run jointly by Spain Food Program (WFP) and deliv-
closing at 10,038.10 points. and Brazil in 2009 that delivered ered the food aid, donated by Bra-
40,000 tons of food aid to Haiti, zil, on ships paid for by Spain, at a
Honduras and Cuba, which had cost of ¤16 million.
The rise (and been struck by hurricanes, is set to
be touted as a future model for in-
Normally, the WFP buys the
food from a specialized intermedi-
fall?) of Spanish ternational aid cooperation at the ary. The Spanish Agency for Inter-
next G20 meeting. national Cooperation and Develop-
cynicism An informal 2009 telephone ment estimates that this process,
conversation between former Bra- called triangulation, would deliver
Social order Ps 4 & 5 zilian President Luiz Inácio Lula three times as much aid for the
da Silva and José Luis Rodríguez same price as the current model.

2. 2 EL PAÍS, Tuesday, June 21, 2011
OPINION AND EDITORIAL
Back to the EL ROTO
pincer movement
IU of Extremadura hands the regional
government to the PP, ousting the Socialists
THE UNITED LEFT (IU) coalition party in its voters throughout Spain that this re-
Extremadura has opted for a visceral re- sponse represents the party’s political
sponse — in obedience to the urges felt by line. Many will interpret that allowing
a majority of grassroots members — and the PP to take over the government of
not a political one — as demanded by the Extremadura as a repetition of the pincer
program line of the national organiza- movement first essayed by the then IU
tion — to the problems of reaching an leader Julio Anguita in the 1993-96 peri-
understanding with the Socialist Party od, his unrealistic and indeed petulant
(PSOE) to produce a voting majority in pretension being to make IU the land-
the regional parliament. Its decision to mark party of the left, displacing the
abstain in the session of investiture of PSOE. The pincer mounted Extremadu-
the new regional government gives the ra’s United Left is more earthy in nature,
rightist Popular Party (PP) the premier- apparently motivated by the desire to
ship of the only regional government punish that region’s Socialists for their
that might have remained in the hands of arrogance and snubs during a 28-year
the PSOE after the recent elections. stint of uninterrupted government.
Finding itself unsure of what course This reaction has nothing to do with
to take, the IU Extremadura leadership politics. Cayo Lara has unsuccessfully at-
committed the first mistake and chose a tempted to explain this, while the IU
middle path — that of debating among its spokesman in Congress, Gaspar Llamaza-
rank and file what ought to be done. It res, considers it a very grave error. To
was not easy to resolve the dilemma be- allow the PP to govern in Extremadura
fore them: support the PSOE, or further not only contradicts the promises made
enlarge the already vast municipal politi- by IU in its electoral campaign; it also
cal power attained by the PP in the May belies the statement made by the party’s
22 ballots. The presence of IU’s national coordinator in that region, Pedro Esco-
coordinator, Cayo Lara, on the scene and bar, that IU would never make deals with “When the bankers invited me to the party, I should have suspected something”
his insistence that the dilemma was not a parties or policies of the right.
Indignant in a gray zone
real one, and that the balance should fi- The abstention will facilitate both of
nally tip in favor of support for the PSOE, these things: government by a party of
shows how important it was for IU that the right, and implementation of policies
its members do the right thing. Lara’s of the right, in the original version of the
failure places him in a difficult situation. PP and not the PSOE’s crisis-era copied JOSÉ MARÍA RIDAO ing to the demonstrators’ deliberate civ-
He has been disowned by the party mem- version, as IU puts it. Sunday’s announce- il disobedience, but also to the Central
bers. Besides, the federal structure of IU ment can be interpreted as a dangerous The demonstrations against the Pact Electoral Council which, disregarding
has been split, because a question that withdrawal of IU into itself. Many of its for the Euro would have been just an- the difficulty of breaking up the crowd,
affects all of the federated chapters has members and voters are going to wonder other protest, had the groups that passed a resolution that could not have
finally been decided by only one of them. if this party’s existence has any real called it not been in the public eye for been enforced without causing a worse
It will be very hard to convince IU and meaning anymore. several weeks now. Under the slogan alteration of election-day calm than
“They don’t represent us” — legitimate that it aimed to avoid. There are those
enough in reference to political leaders who maintain that this risk ought to
PRESIDENT
Juan Luis Cebrián
EDITOR ENGLISH EDITION:
James Badcock
and parties, but disturbing if it means have been run, whatever the cost. But
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER EDICIONES EL PAÍS SL is a the institutions themselves — the “in- it is also possible to hold that the Coun-
José Luis Sainz GRUPO PRISA company. dignant ones” have adopted various cil, which is not a resolution-dispens-
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICERS PRESIDENT: Ignacio Polanco
EDICIONES EL PAÍS, SOCIEDAD LIMITADA Jesús Ceberio & José Ángel García Olea CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER:
causes as they crop up, ranging from ing machine, ought to have made an-
EDITOR Juan Luis Cebrián boycotts against judicial evictions of other decision, setting the limits neces-
Javier Moreno DEPUTY CHIEF EXECUTIVE
DEPUTY EDITORS OFFICER:
mortgage defaulters to a sit-in at the sary so that the camp-in would not in-
Vicente Jiménez & Lluís Bassets Fernando Abril Martorell gates of the Catalan parliament in pro- terfere with the holding of elections,
test against the regional government’s instead of ordering it broken up. Both
proposed budget cuts. solutions were possible within the
Letters It was in Spain Ever since the indignant ones ap-
peared on the scene, numerous observ-
ers have attempted to explain the phe-
terms of the law, as shown by the exist-
ence of earlier precedents, so that the
option for one or the other called for a
to the Editor Alberto Camus wrote that cal democracy and the dic- nomenon, often projecting on the political discussion, not a technical aca-
“it was in Spain that [my tatorship of money — re- movement a meaning that does not demic argument. All this is now water
Letters submitted to this sec- generation] learned that acted and peacefully occu- seem easy to derive from the grab-bag under the bridge, but unfortunately it
tion should not exceed 20 one can be right and yet pied the squares and took of their demands. Sociologists, political is still turning mill-wheels.
typed lines. It is imperative that be beaten, that force can to the streets, charged scientists and specialists in various dis- The incidents at the Catalan parlia-
each one is signed and is com- vanquish spirit, that there with courage and rea- ciplines, not to mention politicians, ment have marked a turning point, giv-
plete with an address, tele- are times when courage sons, demanding dignity have put in these people’s mouths en that a group of hotheads harassed
phone number and DNI or is not its own recom- and the right to another words that, it would seem, they were some deputies whom they do not, per-
passport number of the au- pense.” Spain, to another world incapable of saying for themselves. haps, see as representing them, but
thor. EL PAÍS reserves the right And it was also precise- where we are not mer- Conservative observers are inclined who do represent the democratically
to publish such pieces, either ly in Spain where, 72 chandise. to see in the protests the strategy of a expressed will of thousands of citizens.
in shortened version or as an years after reason was de- Perhaps it is in Spain diffuse entity — the left — which is not The organizers of the camp-out issued
extract when it is considered feated by force and annihi- where we learn that, unit- in the political parties or openly in the a statement distancing themselves
opportune. Unless otherwise lated the hope of a better ed, it is possible to change media, but forms part of an under- from these incidents.
stated, original letters will not life, thousands of men the world and that reason ground network that moves who- It is impossible to see what the dem-
be returned, nor will informa- and women — indignant might not always now be knows-which pawns this way for nebu- ocratic system has to gain by disregard-
tion be made available about over the injustice, the ex- defeated.— María Hoyos lous ends — beginning with undermin- ing this statement, at the same time
them by mail or by phone. ploitation, the privileges, Cuevas. Valencina, ing beforehand the moral authority of declining to explain who these hot-
Email: iht@elpais.es the corruption, the farci- Seville. the next general elections, which in all heads were, and preferring to portray
probability will be won by the Popular the whole indignant ones phenomenon
Party. as a variation on the kale borroka or the
Many of the movement’s demands urban guerrillas. Speculations of an
reflect malaise with the improper use ideological, sociological or any other
being made of power; others are sim- nature on the meaning of the move-
ply not viable. This is neither here nor ment may be useful in the sphere of
there because the indignant ones, be- knowledge; in that of democratic poli-
ing citizens, have a perfect right to de- tics, the phenomenon first requires a
fend their ideas. However, it so hap- description in terms of law, to decide
pens that the camp in Sol and in other on an appropriate official response,
cities came to occupy a gray zone of and put an end to the gray zone in
legality in the day of reflection before which, for different reasons, everyone
the municipal elections. Not only ow- has been putting it.

3. EL PAÍS, Tuesday, June 21, 2011 3
NEWS
May 15 protest
movement
is “profound,”
says Zapatero
L. R. AIZPEOLEA, Madrid
Prime Minister José Luis Ro-
dríguez Zapatero on Monday
recognized the “profound” ef-
fects the May 15 protest move-
ment is having on society but
at the same time disagreed
with the calls from within
the movement for a with-
drawal from a party-based
democratic system.
In an assessment of Sun-
day’s nationwide march orga-
nized by the so-called “indig-
nant ones,” Zapatero dis-
cussed with his fellow Social-
ists during the party’s federal
executive meeting the de-
mands made by May 15 lead-
ers. Among them are the in-
troduction of stringent anti-
corruption measures and bet-
ter political representation.
Zapatero said that the po-
PP councilor Begoña Pereira of Lizartza, Guipúzcoa is accompanied by her two bodyguards. / jesús uriarte litical system “can be im-
proved, but there can be no
other alternative to a party
Basque Country’s human “shadows” representative democracy.”
Other Socialist leaders
said that some May 15 lead-
begin to fade along with ETA threat ers were misleading the peo-
ple by claiming that the gov-
ernment took money from
the workers and gave it to
Concerns begin to heighten over the elimination of publicly paid bodyguards the banks. They said that the
money didn’t burden the pub-
lic coffers because the banks
UNAI MORÁN / EL PAÍS pal employees not to allow body- and insults that seem to have being killed. This fear is shared have returned the ¤3.3 billion
Bilbao / Madrid guards to enter any public build- been ignited once again,” he ex- by many other councilors, espe- they received from the gov-
ings. In Andoain, municipal po- plains. cially those who have been left as ernment at the beginning of
The human “shadows,” which lice carried out those orders on Political opinions are diverse part of a minority in municipali- the crisis.
for years have guarded those Monday and prevented two coun- among the politicians who lived ties governed by the coalition.
who have been threatened by cilors from the PP and the PSE under threats, but most agree For other Socialist councilors,
ETA, are less visible on the
streets of the Basque Country
from entering town hall with
their escorts.
there is widespread euphoria
about the prospects for peace
the decision to readjust body-
guard services could be consid- Socialists call
these days. But the reduction in
the numbers of personal body-
The Spanish Bodyguards Asso-
ciation (ASES) has asked Rubal-
since Bildu’s electoral success.
There are many who agree that
ered a “reasonable” measure if
the political and economic situa-
IU pullout in
guards has become a major con-
cern for both Socialist and Popu-
caba to give them legal protec-
tion from the Bildu mayors.
the security situation — although
still far from normal — has im-
tion in the Basque Country is tak-
en into account. Some are even
Extremadura
lar Party (PP) councilors — a
move that could also leave hun-
Nevertheless, the elimination
of the bodyguards has become a
proved in recent years. Others
are less optimistic, arguing that
seeing it as a new type of “person-
al freedom.”
“unfortunate”
dreds of people unemployed. At double headache for those who in some ways the situation has The councilors only represent
the same time it is also being con- for years have learned to live reverted to mimic that of an earli- the cornerstone of a plan that has From page 1
strued by some as a sign that the with their special guardian an- er time. “Eusko Alkartasuna was already been introduced in sever- “If I had to make that deci-
end of ETA is ever closer. gels. Beyond the “uncertainty” not afraid to condemn any ETA al previous stages. In recent sion in Extremadura I would
The Interior Ministry and its attacks three years ago but now put our platform on top of
Basque regional equivalent have they are not so outspoken,” says Vara’s desk and negotiate it
begun implementing cuts that “You are marked one PP councilor of another pro- “If the risk with him,” said Lara.
would leave just one bodyguard independence party. Juan Manuel Sánchez Gor-
assigned to elected councilors of for life working in For the family of late police- diminishes, so dillo, an IU lawmaker in An-
the Basque Socialist Party (PSE) this job,” says man Eduardo Puelles, who was will the protection,” dalusia’s parliament, ap-
and the PP, who until now had killed in an ETA attack two years plauded Escobar’s decision
two, and eliminate bodyguards one bodyguard ago, Bildu is helping erase the says Rubalcaba and said the party should al-
for all former councilors of both memory of the victims of terror- so make a similar move in
parties who are no longer in of- ism. “The legalization of Bildu is his region.
fice. “First we were leading us to a type of peace that In Andoain, “Why should we have to
On May 22, the Socialists and forced to have them is based on forgetting and cover- bodyguards for pay for the Socialists’ mis-
the PP won in 398 municipalities, ing up the past,” said Josu takes? To form a govern-
119 fewer than in 2007. A little and now they want Puelles, the late inspector’s broth- two councilors ment in Andalusia with the
more than 700 bodyguards will to take them away” er, during a ceremony marking were refused entry Socialists would be suicide
be without jobs in the Basque the second anniversary of his for the IU,” Sánchez Gordillo
Country. A similar number will death. Eduardo Puelles died said.
also be unemployed in Navarre. that it entails, it also comes with when a bomb went off in a park- months, bodyguards have been Marcelino Iglesias, Social-
“You are marked for life working a now-mandatory change of hab- ing lot in Arrigorriaga in Vizcaya quietly eliminated among some ist Party secretary, called the
in this job, and if you become un- it. “First we were forced to live on June 19, 2009. Basque government officials and events in Extremadura “un-
employed there is really no with bodyguards, and adapt to ev- Although less given to issuing professionals from other sectors fortunate” and said the IU Ex-
chance someone will be there to erything that came with it, and public statements — perhaps be- subject to ETA threats, such as tremadura leaders will have
help you find another position,” now they are taking them away cause of the decline in escorts journalists, university professors to explain to their grassroots
says one of the security workers without even consulting us,” said among their own party — the So- and judges. as well as the federal commit-
who stands to lose his job. one mayor, who adds that person- cialists are also concerned. The members of the judiciary tee why it had chosen to take
Interior Minister Alfredo al protection is a guarantee for a This was reflected by party have been the only ones who such action.
Pérez Rubalcaba has been explic- “full democratic life.” spokesman in Andoain, Estanis have spoken out to show their dis- For her part, PP congres-
it in stating that “if the risk dimin- “Not only do they [the Amutxastegi, who had insisted pleasure about the cutbacks. And sional spokeswoman Soraya
ishes, so will the protection.” But bodyguards] protect us from at- on going to town hall with his in the coming weeks the Social- Sáenz de Santamaría said
last week, in towns governed by tacks, which fortunately have not bodyguards despite the ban by ists and the PP, including mem- that the move was “coher-
the Bildu separatist coalition, occurred in a long time, but also Mayor Ane Carrere of Bildu. bers of the regional parliament, ent” because the IU was “re-
mayors issued orders to munici- from the harassment, assaults Amutxastegi says he won’t risk could also follow suit. belling” against Vara.

4. 4 EL PAÍS, Tuesday, June 21, 2011
FEATURES Social order
The costs of a
skeptical society
Spain seems caught in a vicious circle of failed expectations
and a growing lack of confidence that politicians can meet
them. Instead of working for the good of society, its citizens
traditionally fall back on family and friends
AITOR RIVEIRO During childhood we are told suffers from a problem of unful- member of the panel that drew
about the virtues of goodness, filled expectations. Older people up the report, agrees, and adds:
Almost three quarters of Span- but at the same time we are con- were born into harder times “The magnitude of this differ-
iards aged between 18 and 34 stantly being told to be careful, and have seen things improve ence is an indicator of the prob-
believe that their fellow citizens and that we cannot necessarily over their lifetimes. lem we have in making the piec-
would take advantage of them trust those around us. “They see society as moder- es of our society fit together:
given the opportunity. Further- “We find it very hard to ac- ate, well-behaved, and calm. that means the processes of inte-
more, a third say that nobody, cept that evil exists, that there They live in a world that is far gration, in the workplace, in our
or almost nobody, could be de- are bad people around us: it better than they could have private lives; a large number of
scribed as a “good person.” Fur- goes against what we have been imagined when they were grow- people are fearful of the future.”
ther up the age scale, it seems taught,” says Toharia. Our first ing up. From their perspective, Spaniards themselves say
we are a little less cynical, with experiences with the harsh reali- the difference between expecta- that they are an untrusting lot;
57 percent and 25 percent of ties of life put us on our guard tions and reality has made them they blame history, and say that
those aged between 35 and 54 during adolescence, and re- trusting of the world,” he says. the tumultuous events of the
respectively sharing those pessi- minds us that our parents told To live through a dictatorship, last century have led most peo-
mistic views; of the over-55s, us to be careful. “As we grow and then a transition to democ- ple to rely on family and close
the figures fall to 52 percent and older, we tend to believe that racy, which even taking into ac- friends. And at times of crisis,
23 percent. And while Span- there are more good people such as now, that tendency man-
iards themselves admit they than bad people out there, and ifests itself even more so.
don’t always see the best in peo- that tends to temper our lack of “To young people, A report published in Septem-
ple, it seems clear that the un- trust,” he adds. ber 2010 based on research car-
der-30s are especially skeptical “As far as young people are the adult world ried out by the government-
about the world around them. concerned, the adult world is ex- seems external funded Center for Sociological
How come? ternal and hostile,” says Tohar- Research (CIS) showed that 87
The report, which aims to ia. At the same time, we are be- and hostile” percent of Spaniards would go Young demonstrators join
capture Spanish attitudes on a ing brought up to be part of that to family first if they needed forces in protest outside
wide range of issues, was based society; we have to find our help, with friends their second the Labor Ministry as
on surveys by polling company place in society, the socialist ex- The generations option. Lamo de Espinosa says part of Spain’s 15-M
movement. / gorka lejarcegi
Metroscopia and published by plains. “For young people, the who lived through that this is typical of Mediterra-
the Ortega y Gasset Foundation. world seems a closed fortress, nean societies such as Spain, Ita-
José Juan Toharia, Metrosco- and it is hard to find a crack the transition tend ly and Greece: “It’s what we call
pia’s academic director, says it through which to enter.” to be more positive an amoral faith in the family, knew everybody else, and there
isn’t entirely clear why younger But does that explain the and it explains the power and was no need to trust strangers.
Spaniards have lost their faith huge difference in perceptions presence of the mafia.” This contrasts sharply with the
in society. “It’s a difficult issue between two generations re- count its ups and downs, has We should also remember more modern, impersonal soci-
to analyze,” he says. garding the nature and state of seen the country move forward, that for centuries, and up until eties of northern Europe, where
To begin with, he says that the world around us? Emilio La- is likely to make you see things the middle part of the last centu- it is important to find other
wariness about the world is mo de Espinosa, an academic in a more positive light, and to ry, Spain was an overwhelming- ways to work with people with
part of growing up, and the re- who has also contributed to the trust people. ly rural society made up of whom you have no previous
sult of conflicting messages. report, believes that our society Julio Iglesias de Ussel, also a small towns where everybody links.
Outraged, but peacefully so
as Barcelona protest swells
15-M movement intent on maintaining order within ranks
JESÚS GARCÍA, Barcelona aimed to prevent regional depu- reject violence by the move-
ties from entering the assembly ment’s organizers, many of
Barcelona was the scene on Sun- building to debate an austerity those marching carried banners
day of a peaceful, and indeed fes- budget for the debt-laden re- and placards in favor of a peace-
tive, demonstration that attract- gion. ful protest. “Fewer beatings and
ed an estimated 98,000 people in The pacific nature of Sun- more hugs,” shouted one young
support of the 15-M movement, day’s march will have under- woman among the crowds, pro-
which aims to channel public an- mined the efforts of Catalonia’s ducing smiles and laughter
ger at a political system that pri- interior chief, Felip Puig, who from those around her.
oritizes the needs of the interna- has tried to tarnish the 15-M The protestors on Sunday
tional money markets and is im- movement’s image by linking it had bigger fish to fry than Puig
posing severe spending cutbacks to the violence of a minority. or the police; that said, many
on public services. Puig insists that the “peaceful re- called for his resignation, and
In the case of Barcelona the sistance” of the movement is sim- frequently booed the police heli-
organizers were determined to ply a front for a more violent ap- copter hovering overhead. The
avoid the violence that has been proach, and that the public is point, says the 15-M movement,
associated with the movement mistaken in supporting the pro- is to bring as many people to-
after police cleared a sit-in testors. gether as possible, from all sec-
staged in front of Catalonia’s re- The violence that erupted tors of society to protest the
gional parliament last week. during the bid to block entry to country’s worsening economic
The authorities were criticized the Catalan parliament last climate and the inability of
for using excessive force, and Wednesday was in everybody’s Spain’s Socialist government to
fringe elements then upped the minds during Sunday’s demon- protect vulnerable people’s in-
stakes by staging a picket that stration. Reflecting the calls to terests, along with what many Around 98,000 15-M movement protestors march peacefully in Barcelona against interior chief Fe

5. EL PAÍS, Tuesday, June 21, 2011 5
Social order FEATURES
interpersonal relations are easi-
er and more straightforward,
people behave more altruistical-
ly, and standards of living in-
crease.
Among the variables that ex-
plain a particular society’s confi-
dence and trust levels are, ac-
cording to Montero: “income, so-
cial status, belonging to a major-
ity group, work satisfaction, eco-
nomic confidence, and content-
ment with life.”
Szmulewicz agrees on the vir-
tuous circle these factors create:
In Scandinavian
societies, 70 percent
trust others; almost
double Spain’s rate
“There’s a link
between trust at the
personal level and
trust in institutions”
“They reduce negotiation costs
and timetables, facilitate com-
munication, and generally
speed up transactions,” she
says.
“Not all wealthy or devel-
oped countries have such high
indices of trust, but all coun-
tries sharing these factors have
good levels of development,”
says sociologist Marta Portela,
who has researched the subject
for her PhD. Lamo de Espinosa
De Ussel says that a skeptical 17 percent in 2006, but it has 25 years ago. De Ussel agrees you more dependent on the fam- agrees: “High levels of trust and
outlook on the world and life is now shot up to 45 percent, snub- that the mistrust shown by to- ily and the way that you interact a positive outlook on the future
creating problems for many bing out any hope of a stable fu- day’s youth is a reflection of the with other people,” says de Us- reduce all transaction costs:
Spaniards. “It is a serious issue, ture. “Older people’s finances crisis. Work is essential both to sel. family, business, work and so
because the essence of life is are more balanced — they earn our financial and material well- Academic José Ramón on.” Portela adds that societies
trusting those around us, and more money, for a start. Young being, but is also necessary for Montero, writing in the Revista function better when people
that is something that is even people live in a continuous state our self-esteem. The process of Española de Investigaciones trust others; the money spent
more important today, because of worry about work and mon- constantly applying for, and Sociológicas (or, Spanish Journal on implementing control sys-
before, we all knew each other,” ey. Also, they are growing up in then being turned down for, bad- of Sociological Research) says tems can be applied to other ar-
he explains. a much more competitive envi- ly paid, low-skilled jobs leads in- that a positive outlook is hard to eas and “corruption disap-
Add to this the current reali- ronment, which only strength- evitably to a negative percep- sustain over a long period of un- pears.”
ty: a global economic crisis that ens their feelings of mistrust to- tion of the rest of society, who employment. “It seems pretty This relationship between
has hit Spain’s youth particular- wards others,” says De Ussel. become merely competitors. clear that educated, satisfied trust in society, in our political
ly hard. Unemployment has al- Emilio Lamo calls it a “class “Unemployment damages and socially integrated people parties, and in democracy in
ways been high among the un- barrier.” Life is tougher for your sense of identity; it frus- are more likely to trust others. general is highlighted in Monte-
der-30s: the best it ever got was young people today than it was trates your dreams, and makes Therefore, both trust and a hap- ro’s 2008 study. Using data from
py life tend to be directly linked before the current crisis, he ar-
to education and social status.” gues that there is a “significant
see as the empty promises of ple gathered in front of the Cata- This is a view shared by Mari- link between trust at the person-
the opposition Popular Party. lan parliament in an echo of last ana Szmulewicz, who oversaw al level and trust in political in-
Sunday’s march, and the fact week’s troubles, but they later the 2009 European Mindset re- stitutions, and between trust in
that it passed off peacefully, was moved on. port, sponsored by the BBVA politicians and our degree of sat-
important to a movement that The demonstration began at Foundation, which concludes isfaction with our democracy.”
has been riven by infighting in 5pm in Catalunya square, that Spaniards with less than 15 These findings lead him to con-
recent weeks about its longer- where marches from different years in education have a trust clude that “those who show
term objectives and strategies points in the city had con- level of 4.6 out of 10, compared high levels of trust socially tend
to see them carried out, manag- verged. There were a large num- to 5.3 for those with higher lev- to be happier with the political
ing to bring together a disparate ber of families, with children els of study. In Scandinavia, aver- system they live under.”
group of collectives. carried aloft on their parents’ age scores are between six and The motor that drives this vir-
Fearful that the event might shoulders. It took two hours be- seven points. tuous circle is trust in those
be hijacked by a violent minori- fore those at the end of the The European Social Survey, around us. When members of
ty, or even by agents provoca- march were able to move out of an EU-funded comparative society are not envious of oth-
teurs, the organizers took every the square. study, unsurprisingly reports ers, people are more likely to
A festive dragon made of pa- that in Scandinavian societies, take part in democracy, which
per and cardboard was the most more than 70 percent of people in turn favors the building of so-
“We’re changing “aggressive” aspect of Sunday’s
march in the Catalan capital,
are trusting toward others,
while Spain features in the low-
cial and political institutions, in
turn strengthening govern-
the perception of where many people carried post- er half of the table, at around 40 ment. This then creates the con-
reality,” said one of ers equating politics with dis- percent. ditions for people to develop a
honesty, and others insisted on But cause and effect in this sense of civic responsibility that
the many placards the thoroughgoing change to regard is not one-directional, encourages them to be more in-
Spanish political institutions ad- but circular. People are not like volved in their community, and
vocated by 15-M. they are solely because of the in taking part in society as a
step possible, even telling “We’re changing the percep- history and customs of their whole. Perhaps the healthy de-
marchers how to deal with trou- tion of reality,” said one of the country; because of their par- gree of mistrust in our political
blemakers. Stewards and mar- hundreds of placards carried by ents; or because they are living institutions that Spain’s youth is
shals were on hand to defuse marchers between Catalunya through an economic crisis. displaying in demonstrations
possible problems, and the po- square and the Pla de Palau, When trust and confidence — at up and down the country will
lice presence was discreet. The near Ciutadella park. According both the personal and institu- lead more of these individuals
organizers had warned violent to EL PAÍS calculations, 98,000 tional levels — are high, democ- to learn to trust in one another.
groups to stay away, although a attended the protest. City Hall racy works better, the economy This really could be a revolu-
hief Felip Puig and spending cuts. / carles ribes contingent of around 1,000 peo- put the number at 75,000. develops with fewer problems, tion.