Miriam González Durántez, the Spanish lawyer married to former British deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, has launched a new centrist, liberal party in Spain, vowing to clean up politics and give voters an alternative to the ruling Socialists and the conservative opposition ahead of next month's snap general election.
The new party, called Democracia21, says it will offer a modern, transparent kind of politics that 'doesn't feed on fear, insults or nostalgia'.
Its manifesto accuses both the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers' party (PSOE) and the rightwing People's party (PP) of squandering decades of government for short-term political ends.
'In the meantime: housing became unaffordable, young people left, bureaucracy grew like a religion, and bickering took the place of governing,' the manifesto says. 'Old-school politics' turned every problem into a narrative, it adds, and every solution into an electoral threat.
The launch comes as Spain gears up for next month's snap general election, and against a backdrop of corruption scandals that eventually toppled the last PP government and graft allegations that have enveloped the current administration. González Durántez, who has worked as an EU adviser, is the wife of Nick Clegg, the former British deputy prime minister.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Spain holds a snap general election next month, and Democracia21 enters the campaign as a new challenger to the two parties that have dominated Spanish politics for decades.
- The party's launch arrives as both major political blocs face corruption questions, which could make integrity a central election theme.
- A credible centrist option could split the vote in a fragmented political landscape and help determine whether the Socialists or the People's party can form a government.
Background
Spain's two-party system, long dominated by the centre-left PSOE and the centre-right PP, has fragmented considerably in recent years, with newer parties winning significant representation in parliament. The last PP government was toppled amid corruption scandals, and graft allegations have since enveloped the current administration. Democracia21 now seeks to occupy the centre ground, promising transparent politics and criticising both major parties for prioritising partisan advantage over governing. González Durántez brings an outside profile to the race: she is a lawyer, a former EU adviser and the wife of Nick Clegg.
Key Perspectives
Democracia21: The new party casts itself as a modern, transparent alternative to what it calls old-school politics, blaming PSOE and PP for unaffordable housing, youth emigration, expanding bureaucracy and the replacement of governing with bickering.
PSOE and the PP: The two dominant parties are the direct targets of the new party's manifesto. Their response to a challenger for the centre ground in the final weeks of the campaign has not yet been reported.
Critics/Skeptics: New parties in Spain face real structural obstacles, including an electoral system that can make it difficult for small formations to convert support into seats. Democracia21's ability to do so is untested, and no polling on its prospects has been reported.
What to Watch
- Whether Democracia21 registers in published opinion polls before the election next month, and whether it meets the thresholds required to win seats.
- How the corruption allegations surrounding the current administration develop during the campaign.
- How PSOE and the PP respond to the new centrist challenger, particularly on housing, bureaucracy and government transparency.