Save the PP from themselves!

"Shadows, doubts and questions" continue to shroud the events surrounding the Madrid bombings two years ago, according to the right-wing Partido Popular. Having broken a series of agreements made to guarantee unity over the investigation, the PP seems utterly incapable of accepting that Basque Separatists ETA were not involved in the terrorist attacks. Worse still, through a series of hints and insinuations, the PP seem to be trying to give some credence to the most bizarre and incomprehensible conspiracy theory to rear its head in modern Spain: that senior Socialists and the proprietor of El País and Canal+ plotted to attack Madrid in order to destroy the PP and establish a socialist hegemony in the country.

While many PP activists would doubtlessly scoff at such a crazy idea, their party's leadership seems hell-bent on keeping conspiracy theories at the top of the agenda. To me, it seems obvious that this grossly partisan attitude from the PP can only result in deeper trouble for the party who are now seriously flagging in the opinion polls. Part of me is very happy that this party of Fraga, Aznar, Rajoy and Acebes looks to be in terminal decline. But there are more serious questions which need to be asked: what is the reason for this self-destructive behaviour, and what will it result in?

The PP would claim that they're obstructing and perverting the investigation into Spain's worst terrorist attack since the Civil War simply because they don't buy the 'story' that the judicial system has come up with. They believe that the police and justice system, in collusion with the PSOE has hidden, destroyed or otherwise covered up evidence that ETA were involved in the plot. This would vindicate their repeated claims for two days after the attacks that ETA were connected in some way, though they have never been able to provide any evidence for this theory beyond some geographical coincidences.

Another reason which could explain the PP's position is pure political posturing. The PP has a policy of total non-cooperation with the Socialist government - an unprecedented attitude for an opposition party in Spain's young democracy. This position is the result of a basic and wide-reaching dislike for the Socialist party, as well as bitterness over their victory in the last election.

The final possibility for the PP's behaviour is, in my opinion, the most likely. Just like the Republicans prior to September 11th 2001, the PP had taken their eye off the ball when it came to the threat from Islamic terrorism. That is not to say that the PP are in any way culpable for the attacks themselves, but it does beg the question: why did they ignore warnings coming from their intelligence agency and similar foreign agencies? The PP's desperate attempt to dodge these questions has led the party down a strange and winding road. In order to preserve the integrity of the party, they need to come back into the political mainstream and resist the push from some withing the party's leadership to radicalise the party's agenda.

The second question is: what will be the net result of the PP's current position? I believe that if they persist with this attitude, it can only do further damage to a weakened party. The possibility of a split can never be far away in a party whose ideological spectrum stretches from the liberal to the neo-fascist. I think that such a split would be good for the Socialists but bad for Spain which can do without the further radicalisation of its political fringes. If the PP split, there would doubtless emerge at least one major conservative party and several liberal and far-right groups. The PP currently provides a sensible option for those enamoured of more extremist Spanish nationalism, and without it we would probably see an increase in the visibility and activity of such dangerous ideologies. In short, the PP's self-destructive behaviour is captivating but scary. Even those on the left should oppose the possibility of a split in the right wing vote because it won't lead to greater happiness for the Spanish people. It threatens just the opposite.