"Shake Hands, Be Nice." "No, I Don't Wanna!"
Spain has been called a country of individualists. It's true. Each Spaniard makes his own Spain. Each Spaniard knows what is good for the country and what is bad. And everybody else's opinion is wrong. A good example were the last general elections in December. No party got a clear majority; pacts are necessary to govern. And that's the biggest stumbling block. Because no one wants to pact with anyone else. Every party has a red line that every other party crosses. So, discreetly, politely, everyone calls the other kettle black after meeting to discuss differences that remain abysmal. In this time of talking and visiting and forming alliances, the two major parties, the Socialists and the PP, also meet. It's custom. That meeting took place yesterday and illustrates the contempt the ruling conservative party feels toward the Socialists and any idea that might be different from theirs. It was the only meeting that had the cold shoulder so cold it turned to ice. They wal...