THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary- November 1, 2016- Topic 2
Reign in Spain
“Rajoy is the only creature that
advances without moving,” noted a former socialist premier caustically, just
ahead of the return on Saturday of the conservative leader as Prime Minister
after an unprecedented 10-month political impasse in Spain. Mariano Rajoy not only endured the uncertainties and frustrations of his
inability to put together a coalition after his conservative People’s Party
polled the largest number of seats in the two inconclusive elections since
December 2015, but patiently watched his opponents’ prospects fade away. But
despite his instinct for political survival, he heads a government that nobody
really wants. As Prime Minister, Mr. Rajoy enjoyed an absolute majority during
his first term (2011-15). The clear mandate enabled him to push through a round
of painful economic reforms after the country’s housing and credit bubble went
bust by the end of the last decade. He now leads a minority government in
alliance with the centrist Ciudadanos, facing a difficult but definite prospect
of continued gridlock over every legislative initiative. His biggest test will
be to win parliamentary backing to meet the fiscal deficit targets that Madrid
has agreed with Brussels. A threat to call fresh elections is the only real
trump card in his pocket. Mr. Rajoy’s rivals are too weak to be able to fully
capitalise on his woes. Recently the principal opposition party, the Socialist
Workers’ Party (PSOE),
was forced to eat humble pie when it decided, not without internal differences,
to abstain in a parliamentary vote on Mr. Rajoy’s candidacy, only to breathe
life into the minority government of its ideological opponent.
Had the PSOE adopted such a course
after the elections in June, it might have salvaged its image somewhat by being
seen as acting in the national interest. The option the party pursued instead,
that of a coalition with the extreme left Podemos party, only prolonged the
gridlock. Podemos once rode the wave of popular anger against economic
austerity. For now, it must rest content with the accomplishment of breaking
Spain’s two-party dominance. The party’s hopes lie in a consolidation of its
base as the platform of the genuine left, as distinct from the centrist PSOE.
The scenario is reminiscent of another imbroglio, that of Belgium going without
a government for more than 18 months a few years ago on the question of
regional autonomy between Flanders and Wallonia. Political fragmentation is an
inescapable fact in the evolution of democratic governance. Peaceful
reconciliation of competing interests is the art and imperative of political practice,
as Mr. Rajoy is now finding out.
Vocabulary
Conservative: a person who is averse to change and holds to traditional values and
attitudes, typically in relation to politics.
Example: They saw fascists as more patriotic and determined than traditional
conservatives .
Synonyms: right-winger, reactionary, rightist, diehard, Republican, Tory
Unprecedented: never done or known before.
Example: The government took the unprecedented step of releasing confidential
correspondence
Synonyms:
unknown, new, novel, groundbreaking, revolutionary, pioneering
Endured: remain in existence; last.
Example: These cities have endured through time
Synonyms: last, live, live on, go
on, survive, abide, continue, persist
Inconclusive: not leading to a firm conclusion; not ending doubt or dispute.
Example: The medical evidence is inconclusive
Synonyms: indecisive, proving
nothing, indefinite, indeterminate, unresolved
Gridlock: a traffic jam affecting a whole network of intersecting streets.
Example: In Edinburgh, six-mile tailbacks of commuter traffic brought gridlock to
much of the city for more than three hours.
Salvaged: the rescue of a wrecked or disabled ship or its cargo from loss at sea.
Example: A salvage operation was under way
Synonyms: rescue, recovery, reclamation
Accomplishment: something that has been achieved successfully.
Example: The reduction of inflation was a remarkable accomplishment
Synonyms: achievement, act, deed, exploit, performance
Dominance: power and influence over others.
Example: The worldwide dominance of Hollywood
Synonyms: supremacy, superiority, ascendancy, preeminence, predominance
Reminiscent: tending to remind one of something.
Example: The sights were reminiscent of my childhood
Inescapable: unable to be avoided or denied.
Example: Sometimes, our anger and frustration are caused by very real and
inescapable problems in our lives.
Synonyms: unavoidable, inevitable, unpreventable, ineluctable, inexorable
