One of the most cogent definitions of populism I've ever heard is that it seeks to make the business of being a politician look easy. If that is indeed the case, Abdalá Bucaram, erstwhile president of Ecuador, fits the bill. He certainly makes handling a crowd look a...
Guy
Hedgecoe
Print and broadcast journalist
Behind Spain’s news
The wrong gong
On July 4th, a wave capsized a boat carrying 52 Sub-Saharan migrants from the Moroccan coast north across the Mediterranean. Three men were rescued by the Spanish coastguard and the other 49 of those who were on board are believed to have drowned. Many things tend to...
The Corner
In recent weeks I have had the honour of having my thoughts on Spanish politics and other news published on the excellent English-language website The Corner. My articles for the site can be found here and I will be posting links to them on this, my personal webpage....
Revisiting corruption: Why so damn much?
In April 2010, I wrote an article headlined “The rebirth of corruption”. At that time, there seemed to be an endless flow of corruption scandals in Spain, tainting the names of a long list of politicians and I wanted to understand why this problem had the country in...
Can Pedro Sánchez stick it to the man?
Hillary Clinton attended Donald Trump’s wedding; Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba once ran the 100 metres in under 11 seconds; most Muppets are left-handed; the northern leopard frog swallows its prey using its eyes. And Pedro Sánchez could win the upcoming primary of the...
Troubled waters
As Pablo Iglesias pulled the elastic band off his ponytail and swished his famous mane behind him before addressing the party faithful in Madrid’s Vistalegre arena on Sunday, it was tempting to think that now, finally, everything was going to be alright. Podemos’s...
‘Patxismo’
For well over two years, even before Pedro Sánchez took the reins of the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) in 2014, Susana Díaz has been touted as the party’s leader-in-waiting, even though she has still not declared her intention to compete in the upcoming leadership...
Chirbes and the private life of Spain
“It takes a lot of energy to keep the flame of civilisation alight.” – Rafael Chirbes Cast your mind back 10 years, when Spain was on a roll. Its economy was growing at an unbelievable rate on the back of a property boom; second cars and second homes were being...
Spain’s People of the Year
Amid the political upheaval, tragedy and celebrity deaths that 2016 saw around the world, Spain has had quite an unusual year of its own. Most notably, the December 2015 general election was followed by 10 months of unprecedented political uncertainty during which the...
Catalonia’s odd couple
“We’re kingmakers and we have the right to bring down the government when we like and call new elections.” – Quim Arufat (CUP) The unlikely marriage between the mainstream separatists of Junts pel Sí and the radical Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) in Catalonia...
Blog
Hair
“If I want to knock a story off the front page, I just change my hairstyle.” Hillary Clinton Retirement can take many forms. For some, it means the purchase of a cherry wood pipe and some grade-A shag tobacco. For others, it might be that longed-for yacht and a trip...
A bit of a lark
Here he comes, loping over the hills, handsome and unstoppable, gliding across Spain’s political landscape, from somewhere near its centre towards an unspecified place somewhere on the right. Yes, Toni Cantó is Spain’s own Forrest Gump. A witness of calamity. Always...
Recent work
Spain’s gender gap
Published by Politico. The far right has made the battle against ‘supremacist feminism’ a key part of its message. MADRID — There’s a new force in Spanish politics and it has its sights set on women’s rights. Support for feminism has snowballed in recent years, but...
Strong showing for moderates could ease Catalan talks with Madrid
Less than a year ago, Pedro Sánchez was lagging in the polls as the leader of Spain’s opposition, bruised by two resounding electoral defeats. Yet he goes into this Sunday’s general election as prime minister – and is widely tipped to secure the first victory for his...
Spain’s right-wing ‘prince’ divides a nation ahead of election
Popular Party’s Pablo Casado has ramped up his fiery rhetoric in a bid to become PM April 22nd, 2019. Published by The Irish Times. Earlier this year, while addressing members of his conservative Popular Party (PP), Pablo Casado made headlines when he...