Reading the Madrid press, it is apparent that the leader of the Spanish Socialists (PSOE), Pedro Sánchez, does not have a single ally among the traditional Spanish media groups in his quest to win the no-confidence motion he has proposed against Spanish prime minister Rajoy. The blatant endorsement of the Rajoy-Rivera binomial - that is, the governing Popular Party (PP) with Citizens (Cs) - at the expense of the solitary Pedro Sánchez is not limited only to the communications sector, but rather, is spread throughout the whole Spanish establishment, which continues to perceive the PSOE secretary general as mediocre and a loser. People seldom bet anything on a player who always has a bad hand and who, on the only occasion when he was dealt decent cards - after winning the Socialist primaries in 2017 - played them so badly that for the last year he has been a lost soul.
Now he once again has an opportunity through the no-confidence motion he has presented, since options exist, arithmetically. But, in politics, this is not enough. Determination and a political vision are required, and he is light years from having these. I would like to think that he is capable of playing his hand seriously, but I am afraid he lacks the political muscle to do anything more than set off some fireworks.
The deep political crisis in which Spain is immersed, with the governing party accused of corruption, the justice system discredited in several European countries as a result of the exaggeration and imagination of the Supreme Court and the loss of individual freedoms which several international bodies have denounced, has left a colossal, gaping hole in Spain's image abroad.
With all of these elements, there is more than enough for the no-confidence motion to be presented and to succeed. In this game, the Catalan independence parties will have to take part, even if it makes the PSOE uncomfortable. If not, let Sánchez reach agreement with Albert Rivera, if the latter allows himself to be coaxed. The Catalan independence parties have to act without any hang-ups and with very clear ideas. Their votes in the Spanish congress have to be available for ousting Rajoy if the opportunity is there. But it can't be in return for nothing. To go from Rajoy to Sánchez is not sufficient, nor must it be the only objective of the pro-independence parties. Especially at a time when political prisoners are being held for months pre-trial prison, half a government is in exile and president Quim Torra can't even publish the composition of his government in the official Catalan gazette.
If what Sánchez aims to do is rise immaculately out of the Spanish political quagmire and walk into the role Spanish government unblemished, he has got it completely wrong. As on previous occasions, he won't get anywhere.