Aznar's comeback: the Spanish PP's nostalgia in the 2008 crisis
As the 2008 crisis hit Spain, debate resurfaced over whether José María Aznar should return. His record, the housing bubble and the 11M bombings clash in a no-holds-barred analysis.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The myth of Aznar's return: nostalgia or way out of the crisis
At the height of the 2008 economic crisis, as unemployment soared and the housing bubble burst, an uncomfortable question resurfaced: what if José María Aznar came back? The proposal was not trivial: among his supporters, the argument was that Aznar had pulled Spain out of the hole in 1996, after the crisis of the nineties, and could do it again. Critics, however, reminded them of the Iraq war, the proliferation of temporary work agencies and the seeds of the property speculation that later flourished under Zapatero.
Aznar's economic legacy: miracle or bubble?
Supporters of his return cite the figures from his time in office: in 1996 the PP came to power with 156 seats, needed deals with nationalist parties (CiU, PNV, CC) and achieved a term of growth that culminated in an absolute majority in 2000. "Spain was a united, strong, prosperous country, with access to housing and permanent contracts," they argue. On the other side, it is pointed out that this growth was based on a construction and cheap credit model, and that Aznar liberalised land use and created the Agencia Nacional de Tasadores (National Valuation Agency), feeding the bubble. "He got us out of the hole only to push us into the mega-bubble," they conclude.
The 11M and the shadow of electoral defeat
A recurring point of friction is the interpretation of the 2004 bombings. For some, the 11M was the blow that cut short Aznar-era prosperity: "Only by throwing the 11M spanner in the works could they bring down Spanish prosperity." The conspiracy thesis clashes with those who see the Iraq war, decided against public opinion, as a miscalculation that cost Aznar the election. The debate over whether Spanish democracy can tell reality from gut feeling remains open.
Two-party politics in the dock
Beyond Aznar, a third vector emerges: disillusionment with the two-party system. "Both the PP and the PSOE are to blame for the mess we're in," is a common refrain. The systemic crisis that erupted in 2008 shows no party colours. Many see the proposal of Aznar's return as wishful thinking, while others joke: "Bring Franco back, and the plaster sofas...". The discussion, fuelled for years, shows that political nostalgia is a persistent phenomenon, but also that a cold analysis of the data does not always match the mythology.
Related threads in the forum
At the height of the 2008 economic crisis, as unemployment soared and the housing bubble burst, an uncomfortable question resurfaced: what if José María Aznar came back? The proposal was not trivial: among his supporters, the argument was that Aznar had pulled Spain out of the hole in 1996, after the crisis of the nineties, and could do it again. Critics, however, reminded them of the Iraq war, the proliferation of temporary work agencies and the seeds of the property speculation that later flourished under Zapatero.
Aznar's economic legacy: miracle or bubble?
Supporters of his return cite the figures from his time in office: in 1996 the PP came to power with 156 seats, needed deals with nationalist parties (CiU, PNV, CC) and achieved a term of growth that culminated in an absolute majority in 2000. "Spain was a united, strong, prosperous country, with access to housing and permanent contracts," they argue. On the other side, it is pointed out that this growth was based on a construction and cheap credit model, and that Aznar liberalised land use and created the Agencia Nacional de Tasadores (National Valuation Agency), feeding the bubble. "He got us out of the hole only to push us into the mega-bubble," they conclude.
The 11M and the shadow of electoral defeat
A recurring point of friction is the interpretation of the 2004 bombings. For some, the 11M was the blow that cut short Aznar-era prosperity: "Only by throwing the 11M spanner in the works could they bring down Spanish prosperity." The conspiracy thesis clashes with those who see the Iraq war, decided against public opinion, as a miscalculation that cost Aznar the election. The debate over whether Spanish democracy can tell reality from gut feeling remains open.
Two-party politics in the dock
Beyond Aznar, a third vector emerges: disillusionment with the two-party system. "Both the PP and the PSOE are to blame for the mess we're in," is a common refrain. The systemic crisis that erupted in 2008 shows no party colours. Many see the proposal of Aznar's return as wishful thinking, while others joke: "Bring Franco back, and the plaster sofas...". The discussion, fuelled for years, shows that political nostalgia is a persistent phenomenon, but also that a cold analysis of the data does not always match the mythology.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (99 replies).
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