After the drastic confinement of more than 100 days, this pandemic period ends, but we are not going to close the door on our way out. This is the time to be able to criticize the phase that is ending and express what we Spaniards think about what has happened so far.
The Eurobarometer that the European Parliament has just published has shown how satisfied Europeans are with the measures that the governments of their respective countries have adopted in response to COVID-19.
In the last place of the twenty countries surveyed, we find that the Spanish government is the one that comes out worst. While the European average declared to be quite or very satisfied with the measures adopted by their respective governments by 56%, in Spain only 35%, that is one out of every three respondents, are satisfied, while almost two thirds are totally or quite dissatisfied, 63%. To see the contrast, we are eagerly awaiting the survey from the formerly prestigious CIS to investigate this issue.
Of course, this position leaves us at a notable difference with our dear neighbor Portugal, second on the list with 85% of respondents quite or very satisfied with the measures taken by their country in the coronavirus pandemic. The results in human lives between the two Iberian countries cannot be compared, which I do not believe is due to the fact that «Portugal is to the west of Spain». Let us not point out the differences again and let the Committee on Reconstruction work on learning from Portugal so that we can be prepared in the event of serious outbreaks.
In view of this survey, it does not seem that the Spanish can share some official slogans such as that we are in the «high range of success», or that we are going to come out of the confinement «stronger». Or to presume, when the government does not know the true number of deaths from the coronavirus, that 450,000 deaths have been prevented by confinement.
In 2016 the book 1785 reasons why even a Norwegian would want to be Spanish was published, in which the many historical events, famous people, inventions made by our country are exposed (it should be a must read for our young people, to raise their self-esteem as Spaniards). It is clear that for the majority of Spaniards the actions of our Government these months should not be included as the 1786 reason in a future edition of this work.
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Eduardo Rodríguez Rovira
Honorary President of the Spanish Confederation of Elderly Organizations (CEOMA)