Nice, the job of the politician or the King of Spain. At least until one of those cases arises in which, whatever the objective individual responsibilities, the people submerged by mud and from the pain he doesn’t point to you as solely responsible for the disaster.
It’s raining, thieving government. Synthesis as old as the world, yet never so current.
Yesterday King Felipe, Queen Letizia and Pedro Sanchez they had the terrible idea of visiting the disaster sites together with governor Mazòn. At a certain point they appeared in Paiporta, citizens on the outskirts of Valencia plagued by 72 deaths. A way to stay close to their citizens, in the intentions of those who organized the tour. A “catwalk” as it was perceived by citizens. They shouted “murderers”, “tell us the true number of dead”, someone threw mud balls at the King, others simply asked “but aren’t you ashamed?”, “go away”. King, prime minister and governor walked protected by security. Some of the officers were injured. Sanchez’s car was hit with kicks and a bat, until the glass broke. Someone also hit him with a stick. When the King’s bodyguard was forced to open his umbrella to protect Felipe from the mud, the visual distance between those who were floundering in the mud and those who had just come down from the royal palace for a visit was revealed. Huge mistake, from a communication point of view.
Just as in general it was a mistake to think that the simple presence of the institutions could serve to “bring comfort“. Too soon. We’ll think about that later. Now the citizens need those in charge to roll up their sleeves and help them save what can be saved and, if possible, find some missing people who are still alive. “How dare they make this macabre walk among their convicts?”. That is: what could you have done before? What aren’t you doing right now?
Whether the frustration against the rulers is right or wrong, being King, prime minister or governor exposes you to the obligation to take on blame that is not directly yours. At least politically. And so in the end Sanchez takes refuge in a center guarded by the police. Mazòn begins to talk about resignation. The King and Queen cancel the second leg of the tour.
Who suggested they show up in Valencia he clumsily miscalculated. Of course, choosing what to do wasn’t easy: was it better to expose oneself to the mud or to the accusations of having remained, distant and insensitive, in the buildings of Madrid? It is the dilemma of the powerful. Difficult to evaluate. But the only thing to avoid was the catwalk effect: I come, well protected, I get a little dirty with mud and then I set off again. What else could they expect from the survivors, forced to shovel alone for days, other than balls of mud?