Living with the good life

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JEROEN DIJSSELBLOEM: Eurogroup president.

THE frugal will ever suspect flamboyant spendthrifts and Eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem accused Spain of squandering Brussels money on “wine and women.”

Speaking in the national parliament Ciudadanos leader Albert Rivera agreed that money was wasted, but it went on corruption, empty motorways and closed airports.

Admittedly, the population once enjoyed a slight trickledown effect but it was largely a trickle-up process that has made the rich richer and the poor, poorer.

Forget ideology

THE PSOE crisis is about politicians, not politics. The party has been leaderless since its then secretary general Pedro Sanchez was manoeuvred into jumping before he was pushed last October.

Now it’s time to choose his successor in a three-way stretch between Susana Diaz, Patxi Lopez and Sanchez.

They parrot their patter, lay out their wares and produce a magic formula for bringing the PSOE out of the shadows to bask in the sunny warmth of voter approval.

With primaries in view they are not trying to convince voters but must preach to the converted, the paid-up party militants who want doctrine not promises.

They should spare their breath and if the membership wants the PSOE to have an outside chance in any election they should forget ideology and choose the person most likely to rake in votes.

Staying power

SUSANA DIAZ won Andalucia’s regional election shored up by Ciudadanos, Lopez another with PP (yes PP!) votes in the Basque Region.

And Pedro Sanchez won nothing at all, apart from the 2014 primaries. Both his parliamentary seats were inherited, his by default after those preceding him on the PSOE’s closed candidates’ lists dropped out.

On the face of it – and Sanchez’s is a pleasant face – he had everything going for him as secretary general.

Instead he brings to mind the winner of a television talent contest whose career nosedives after early triumph.

It takes talent to get to the top but it needs more than talent to stay there.

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