Spain: Managing the uncertain while facing economic collapse

Abstract

The COVID-19 crisis caught Spanish leaders unprepared. Despite this, the coalition government that led the country based its actions on scientific expertise and on international institutions’ suggestions. The imposed lockdown and the economic meltdown that it provoked were confronted with a series of unprecedent measures such as a minimum living income wage provided by the government. These actions combined with a change in the rhetoric, invoking the language of war, and the fact that most of the pressure was held by technical workers such as doctors, researchers and epidemiologists, made the popularity of the government quite stable. Nevertheless, the contextual political situation in the country affected political support and public debate. The ideological confrontation surpassed the legislative arena, and every step and measure were widely criticised by the opposition parties, criticising the unilateralism of the National Government. Despite this, the extensive use of royal decrees and executive legislation helped the country to overcome the situation and to gain experience for the probable next waves.