Distrust of politicians has reached unprecedented levels in crisis-hit Spain, where street protests are turning increasingly violent. The rapid rise of economic precariousness or outright poverty has left the current political model in a "crisis of legitimacy," says Pedro Chaves, a political scientist at Madrid's Carlos III University.
That crisis could eventually erode democracy itself, Chaves told dpa. One typical critic of the current political system is Maria, a 30-year-old social worker, who feels that "politicians are there only to steal from us."
"I don't care if they are socialists or conservatives - they are all the same. Their policies only leave us worse off. They know nothing about the struggles of ordinary people," she said. Such comments can be heard all over the country where nearly 27 per cent of residents regard politicians as a "problem," according to a recent poll by the Centre of Sociological Investigations (CIS).
Nearly 80 per cent of Spaniards agree with the thousands of demonstrators who tried to surround the parliament building on September 25, according to a poll by the daily El Pais. The demonstrators accused Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of betraying his promises and urged him to resign. Dozens of people were injured in clashes with police. "Spain has had a strong tradition of criticising politicians since the 19th century, but the criticism had never reached such a high level as now," Chaves says.
The criticism is partly based on "a perception that politicians are incapable of doing their job and ensuring the well-being of citizens," he explained. Rajoy's liberal economic reforms and budget cuts have proven ineffective against Spain's soaring unemployment - now at nearly 25 per cent - and the deepening recession.
Not only has Rajoy cut spending on health, education and unemployment benefits, but he has also poured tens of billions of euros into rescuing Spain's troubled banks, creating a sense of outrage palpable in the streets of Madrid. "Politicians only serve bankers and the rich. They earn huge salaries while the people are suffering," Maria said. Rajoy's economic policies follow the guidelines of the European Union, creating a perception that the government is serving foreign interests, according to Chaves.
Similar developments can be observed in some other EU countries, the political scientist said, warning that they could obstruct integration processes. Polls also show that a growing number of Spaniards would like to change the 1978 constitution in different ways. Some would like to make the electoral system more favourable to small parties, while others want to boost the role of the senate, or to create a clearer federal system in order to calm separatism in north-eastern Catalonia.
"The crisis is sparking social change of enormous magnitude," wrote Belen Barreiro from the left-leaning think tank Alternativas. In May 2011, Spain's persistent economic crisis triggered the birth of The Indignant Ones, a protest movement advocating a far-reaching reform of the democratic system to increase direct involvement by citizens. The previous Socialist and the current conservative government turned the peaceful movement a deaf ear, thus encouraging its radicalisation, Chaves said.
The Indignant Ones have now been replaced by a new and more violence-prone movement called 25-S, named after the September 25 rally. Riot police have been accused of brutality, while representatives of Rajoy's People's Party have proposed limiting citizens' right to demonstrate.
The premier is meanwhile facing smaller, usually peaceful rallies against his spending cuts almost daily around the country. "The government's attempts to present demonstrators as criminals could be counter-productive," Chaves warns. More than 60 per cent of Spaniards expect more insecurity, raids at supermarkets to feed the poor, and boycotts of banks, according to the El Pais poll. Eventually, the gradual undermining of the democratic system could also lead to the emergence of populist, far-right and xenophobic parties, Chaves said.