José María Aznar is someone who must be listened to for two main reasons: he is the ideologist of the refoundation of the Spanish centre-right, and it is from his mouth that words are heard which others only say in private, in the exclusive dining rooms of expensive restaurants, in senior offices or on country estates and yachts at the weekend. Aznar is the quintessential champion of the need for an institutional coup against the Catalan independence movement and one of the maximum defenders of the unconditional and preventative jailing of nine of its leaders, who are currently in prisons in the Madrid area.
In effect, Aznar makes four points: the Spanish government's intervention in Catalonia under article 155 of the constitution "has not yielded results because it was not sufficiently resolute"; "instead of discussing the transfer of prisoners [to jails closer to their homes], more support should be given to the civic movements in Catalonia" - referring to the unionist groups such as Societat Civil Catalana and Tabàrnia; "the [Catalan independence] coup and its media, cultural and financial apparatus should have been dismantled". And, finally, "if instead of dismantling the coup, you give nationalism the chance to win an election, it will win the election. It is difficult to explain this because it is an unprecedented historical feat".
With Rajoy having fallen, Aznar sees the reconstruction of the right being drawn by two horses, Pablo Casado in the Popular Party (PP) and Albert Rivera in Ciudadanos (Cs). Perhaps, even, united in a kind of grand "national alliance". The right needs to portray new Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez as a traitor, even if he does nothing or very little. The first trench that must be dug, is to declare the Catalan pro-independence parties as illegal. This is a debate which we will witness in the Spanish parliament during this legislature. The PP and Cs campaign with this objective has already started and the media backing is ready, absolutely ready.
So much so, that nobody is even criticising Aznar for the utter barbarity of affirming that the best thing would have been not to call elections on 21st December in Catalonia, with this argument: if you give nationalism the chance to beat you in an election, it will beat you in the election. Nostalgia for a black and white past, converted into guidance.