If you don't live in the Canary Islands or follow them closely, you're likely to believe that Coalición Canaria (CC) is the majority party in the archipelago, that it has broad electoral support, and that its inhabitants use Canarian speech, our unique way of expressing ourselves, to proclaim that most of us are conservative nationalists, that is, right-wing Canarian nationalists. But it turns out that's not true, and it's infuriating that CC proclaims itself as the only Canarians.
CC is in the opposition in the Parliament of the Canary Islands, it does not preside over any of the seven island governments —our historical councils— and in the last general elections of November 2019 it was the fifth force in votes. CC obtained a single seat in the Congress of Deputies out of the 15 to which the Islands are entitled, and not a single seat in the Senate out of the 11 that correspond to us by direct election, finally achieving one but by designation of the Autonomous Community. That is, of 26 representatives to vote in the elections, CC only obtained one.
Compared to such meager representation, the PSC-PSOE has five seats in the Congress of Deputies —five times more— and eight in the Senate —eight times more—. So CC does not have the exclusivity to represent us, far from it. Removed from the levers of power in the archipelago, CC is a small thing: a lot of noise, less and less, and little electoral base. But, outside the Islands, it kicks and screams to continue illegitimately appropriating the defense of the interests of the Canary Islands, the symbols of Canarian identity and Canarianness itself, and, still, some believe it, because what is down here we already know which foot CC limps on: the right.
CC's drift to the right is of such magnitude that it should not surprise us if one of these days it proclaims itself as an apolitical party, which is what every self-respecting right-winger does. Wrapped in the flag of the Canary Islands, but apolitical and right-wing. CC must be recognized for having been able to pull the wool over people's eyes outside the Islands by occupying the Presidency of the Government of the Canary Islands for almost three decades, although inside it convinced less and less. That is why, and because of the special affection that the conservative press in Madrid shows towards conservative peripheral nationalisms, to which it gives more flight than they really have, and which is quite low and short.
Today, the Government of the Canary Islands is made up of a pact of progressive forces that represents the varied interests of the Canarian population more and better, instead of the lords of the land and concrete almost exclusively, which is what CC did with special diligence. Today, the deputies in the Congress and the socialist senators strive every day to defend the Canary Islands in Madrid with passion and efficiency, although without fanfare, and despite not enjoying the affection of the conservative media.
CC is the evolution of a joint invention of the dominant classes in the Canary Islands to preserve power in each of the islands, and that has been revolving since its creation around the ultra-nationalist conservatism residing in Tenerife and that we know by the acronym ATI, of Agrupación Tinerfeña de Independientes (Tenerife Group of Independents). Let us not be surprised if the day after tomorrow it shows itself as a regionalist appendage of the PP, or we see it disputing the handful of votes that nest in the fear of those who are different, poor and migrants with the extreme right.
Fco. Manuel Fajardo Palarea, PSOE senator for Lanzarote and La Graciosa.
