Big mandate, tight spot

I couldn´t agree more (From The Economist)

Big mandate, tight spot

The new government in Madrid needs to claw back some powers from the regions

(……..)

Much of this stems from Spain’s exaggerated decentralisation. The democratic constitution’s creation of 17 autonomous regions tried to reverse Franco’s heavy-handed centralisation, while keeping enough national control to satisfy the right, long nervous about self-government of Basques, Catalans and Galicians. In fact it has led to waste in public spending and to 17 sets of business regulations, fragmenting the national market and increasing costs. And it has failed to settle Spain’s historic quarrels: Basque and Catalan nationalists have exploited their status as coalition partners of the two main parties to demand ever more powers.

One country—or 17?

Mr Rajoy’s absolute majority in parliament plus his party’s control over many of Spain’s regions could allow him to start rolling back this trend. He should be cheered that a new centrist group which split from the Socialists in protest over Mr Zapatero’s toadying to the regions took almost 5% of the vote. Although Basque separatists, boosted by the end of ETA’s terrorism, and Catalan nationalists also did well, one lesson of the euro crisis applies also at home: too much splintering makes governing an economic union harder.

For all Mr Zapatero’s dilatoriness, Spain has taken more decisive action than Italy to tackle the budget deficit. Unlike Italy and Greece, it now has a new government with the fresh energy provided by a thumping democratic mandate. Mr Rajoy knows that the euro’s survival depends on Germany summoning up the political will: it was no coincidence that he was soon on the phone to Angela Merkel. But the more decisive he is at home, the stronger will be his case for foreign backing.