SPAIN THE POLITICAL MANAGEMENT OF THE COVID-19 CRISIS IN SPAIN - La Fondation Robert Schuman
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GERER LE COVID-19, UN TOUR D’EUROPE
heavily affected, both in Europe and other
regions.
SPAIN
THE POLITICAL MANAGEMENT
OF THE COVID-19 CRISIS IN
SPAIN
The purpose of this note is twofold. On the
one hand, it aims to provide a series of data
(updated to 9 April) both on the impact of
the Covid-19 pandemic in Spain and on the
government's response and actions to
counter its effects on the health system and
the economy. On the other hand, it provides
a current, and therefore limited and
provisional, analysis of the impact of these
measures on the system of government.1
According to these data, it can be seen that
in Spain the incidence of the disease in
To achieve its objectives, the study is
relation to demography has been highest in
divided into several parts. The first section
the last 14 days, although it is not the one
presents data (as of April 12) on the
with the highest mortality rate3, since
incidence of the disease in Spain in
France, Italy, the UK, Belgium and the
comparative terms to highlight the fact that
Netherlands have higher rates
the country was one of the most affected by
the Covid-19 pandemic. The next section is
Political Management of the Crisis
devoted to the description and analysis of
Description of the public authorities'
the political management of this crisis. The
response in Spain to the health crisis and its
last section summarizes the main data and
economic and social effects
forecasts concerning its economic and
To describe the response of the Spanish
social consequences.
public authorities to the health crisis
triggered by Covid-19, it is necessary to
Impact of Covid-19 in Spain
start from the constitutional division of
According to official data collected by the
competences between the central and
Autonomous Communities (ACs) and
regional levels of government. It should be
centralized by the Ministry of Health, Spain
borne in mind that most health policies such
exceeded 166,000 infections after the first
as primary care and hospital management
case was registered on 31 January. 2, and
fall within the competence of the 17
17,000 deaths, the former having been
regional governments and that the Spanish
recorded on 4 March. Tables 1 and 2
government's Ministry of Health has few
compare the incidence of the disease in
powers. The management of many social
Spain to a set of countries that have been
services such as nursing homes, the age
group most affected by illness, is the
1I use the term « government system » because in Spain 2 This involved a German tourist on holiday in the Canary
compétences in terms of health lie in the hands of the Islands (La Gomera), who is said to have been infected in
autonomous communties. They played a central role in the Germany.
management of the crisis. 3 86.2 % of those who died in Spain were aged over 70.
Fondation Robert Schuman | Avril 2020 1GERER LE COVID-19, UN TOUR D’EUROPE
responsibility of the regional governments. political and social controversy. During that
Certain policies that may have the most weekend, Spain went from 423 infected
decisive impact in countering the people on 6 March to 1,621 on 9 and almost
destructive effects of this unprecedented 30 deaths. This weekend was the last of
health crisis on the economy, such as fiscal normal life in the country and, in addition to
and social policies (pensions, the usual sporting and cultural events (the
unemployment benefits) are mainly the 10 matches played in the first football
responsibility of the Spanish government, division brought together more than
although some of them, such as fiscal 280,000 fans), several political events took
policy, are shared to some extent with the place, such as the massive Women's Day
autonomous governments. demonstrations or a Vox party rally
attended by 600 executives and 9,000
As a result, initially and until the declaration supporters. The fact that the government did
of the state of emergency on 14 March, the not ban these activities but also encouraged
17 regional governments were co-decision- participation in the Women's Day street
makers.4 However, the Ministry of Health marches provoked strong reactions,
plays an important role, through the Centre especially when 24 hours later the Minister
for Coordination of Health Alerts and of Health, Salvador Illa, radically changed
Emergencies (CCAES), in coordinating the his tune and announced that schools would
regions in the face of new health threats. be closed for two weeks in the Community
Since the first case of Covid-19 was of Madrid (after the Madrid government
reported on Spanish territory on 31 January, had insisted on demanding such a measure)
the Director of the Ministry of Health's and in the region of Vitoria (Basque
CCAES, Dr Fernando Simón, has become Country), and furthermore recommended
the main actor in the response to the avoiding public gatherings in Madrid and
progression of the disease in Spain and has the introduction of teleworking for all those
assumed the key responsibility for who could afford it.
coordination. While other EU Member
States have strengthened coordination The week of 9 to 15 March highlighted the
mechanisms and have provided the difficulties of effective coordination
population with a single national telephone between the Spanish Government and the
number for all incidents related to Covid- autonomous regions. Students who had
19, at present 17 information telephone stopped going to classes were meeting in
numbers have been put into service in public places and many families left Madrid
Spain, one for each Autonomous for their holiday homes. Many regional
Community. governments also called for the closure of
schools, while the Spanish government
In the weeks following 31 January, opposed further restrictive measures.
throughout February and the first week of Finally, on 14 March, the government
March, the fundamental message from the approved the decree regarding the state of
government was one of tranquillity and emergency under Article 116 of the Spanish
confidence that the disease would not have Constitution (royal decree 463/2020 - 14
a major impact in Spain. The events of the March) and established a single crisis
weekend of 7 and 8 March were one of the management command with the Minister of
moments that generated the greatest Health at its head, as well as the interruption
4 The body responsible for the coordination and 31st January. However, although the minister declared
management of National Healthcare System is the after the meeting on 4 February that Spain was ready to
Interterritorial Health Council, comprising the ministry face the crisis the positions of those participating were not
and 17 regional health services. This council held sever known. Since December 2018 the ministry does not
meetings in February following the WHO’s warning on publish the minutes of these meetings.
Fondation Robert Schuman | Avril 2020 2GERER LE COVID-19, UN TOUR D’EUROPE
of administrative deadlines for public These days will gradually be recovered by
records for the duration of the state of the employees through overtime. As a
emergency. From then on, with nearly result, almost all industrial activity has been
10,000 people infected and 300 deaths, the halted. Only plants that had adapted their
response was more vigorous, although there production to the manufacture of sanitary
were still problems of coordination and equipment were able to continue operating.
effectiveness in the measures implemented. Thus, the textile industries that
manufactured protective masks or gowns,
In bried, the policy to deal with the health the beverage or perfume industries such as
crisis was based on four main lines. The DYC, LEA and a few others, which had
first two concern the general confinement of converted to the manufacture of
the population at home (in addition to the hydroalcoholic gels for hand disinfection,
suspension of all public gatherings) and the or certain other industries which, like the
cessation of many economic activities SEAT automobile industry, developed
leading to the concomitant presence of respirators for medical use, were able to
workers and customers, such as shops and continue their activity.
tourism (closure of hotels, travel agencies,
drastic reduction of air and rail traffic and The third line of the political response to the
buses by more than 90% as compared with crisis has of course been the pooling of
the same dates a year earlier). According to health resources to provide hospitals, health
the decree, only those activities considered centres and workers with the equipment
essential are allowed: those related to food, they need to carry out their activities. The
health, State and armed forces, security Spanish Government and the regional
forces, public transport (with significant governments have invested heavily in the
restrictive measures in terms of frequency purchase of three types of goods: disposable
and capacity), telecommunications, personal protective equipment (PPE,
essential IT services, veterinary clinics, including nitrile gloves, protective masks,
media, electricity supply, cleaning and waterproof gowns and suits, tights, etc.),
waste collection services, undertakers, bank ventilators or respirators, screening kits or
agencies and notaries, post offices, antigens. In the context of a global
transport, logistics and parcel delivery pandemic, competition from many national
companies, management of toll roads or governments to acquire these goods has
service stations. However, in addition to been fierce and this has caused many
this, there are other activities that continued problems in acquiring them5, the Spanish
after the promulgation of the decree, such as government declared that it had spent 845
a large part of the construction and industry million €. In addition, the Ministry of
sectors. Health has received donations of medical
equipment from businessmen like Amancio
Fifteen days later, the government approved Ortega (Zara) and many others, from the
Royal Decree 10/2020 of 29 March for the European Union and countries such as
introduction of "recoverable paid leave" to China, Turkey and Taiwan. The
further reduce the mobility of the controversy here is whether the government
population and to interrupt the activity of and the autonomous regions acted diligently
non-essential industries. Companies were and effectively in providing these materials
therefore obliged to guarantee the retention before the pressure on hospitals and the
in their posts of employees forced to work sectors of the population most vulnerable to
in confinement for a period of two weeks. the disease became unbearable.
5Apart from the late arrival of this material and the lack of 640,000 rapid test kits from a company in Shanghai which
protection for the healthcare personnel there were several was operating without a licence. These tests had to be sent
particularly astonishing episodes like the purchase of back due to their extremely low efficiency level.
Fondation Robert Schuman | Avril 2020 1GERER LE COVID-19, UN TOUR D’EUROPE
It is difficult to analyse the response of the
The only thing that is certain is the public authorities in this health crisis, since
particular impact of Covid-19 on two information unavailable to the public is
groups that have shown particular needed to analyse the adequacy of the
vulnerability because they have not been measures implemented and their degree of
adequately protected. These are the elderly responsiveness. A certain amount of time
living in retirement homes and care will be needed to assess the proven
institutions. According to the latest data effectiveness of these measures. An
published by the Ministry on 3 April, nearly additional problem in this evaluation is the
25,000 health care workers were already possible retrospective bias, on which the
infected, representing more than 15% of the government relies so much to defend itself
total number of people infected. In turn, from criticism, which implies an assessment
nearly 10,000 older people died in old of past events in the light of later
people's homes, representing 58% of all consequences. Given these caveats, an
deaths recorded by the Ministry for Health. analysis is possible, focusing on the
following five points: (a) the government's
Finally, the fourth line of the authorities' response was excessively late,
response has been the preparation of a series uncoordinated and short-sighted; (b) the
of economic measures aimed at mitigating quality of official data on the disease could
the very damaging consequences of the clearly have been improved; (c) the
cessation of economic activity. Seven of the government's negotiating effort to bring
Royal Decrees approved by the together the consensus of other political and
Government between 10 March and 7 April social forces to implement these measures
contain measures to mitigate the economic was not strong enough; (d) the need to
damage in order to avoid the destruction of develop a European response to a global
jobs and of the economic fabric. On 17 crisis should not obscure the need to
March, the President of the Government, improve the national response; and (e)
Pedro Sánchez, announced a package of many weaknesses in the national response
measures that would mobilise around €200 reveal significant deficiencies in the
billion (an amount equivalent to 20% of functioning of the public sector in Spain
Spanish GDP) for this purpose. The aim which highlight the urgent need to improve
was to allocate some €100 billion of public the quality of governance.
funds, with the rest coming from private
sources, to generate subsidised credit lines Late response
to guarantee liquidity for SMEs and the It must be admitted that objectively it must
self-employed, and to activate social be very difficult for any government to take
protection measures such as a moratorium a decision that involves closing down most
on mortgage payments for the self- economic activity, even to avoid a health
employed and workers affected by the disaster. Moreover, it is true that we are
crisis, or a ban on interrupting basic dealing with a new and unknown disease, so
supplies (water, electricity, gas). In it was probably not easy to foresee the
addition, other measures have been taken to consequences it could have on the health of
support businesses, such as the acceleration the population and on the increase in
and relaxation of temporary layoff mortality. However, the government had
programmes and the exemption or the experience of a country as close as Italy
reduction of social security contributions affected by the disease a few weeks earlier.
for companies that keep their staff. Furthermore, it is difficult to understand
why, after the recommendation not to travel
Analysis of the emergency to China, when the crisis broke out in Italy,
the Spanish government did not carry out
Fondation Robert Schuman | Avril 2020 2GERER LE COVID-19, UN TOUR D’EUROPE
minimum screening of the many travellers The same applies to the figures for the
coming from that country, when the number of deaths. The fact that only those
possibility of asymptomatic contagion was that have been tested are recorded as such
already known. considerably reduces the actual number of
deaths caused by the virus. Many of these
In these circumstances, it does not seem too are elderly people who have died in nursing
exaggerated to conclude that the Spanish homes and have not been tested for Covid-
Government did not make sufficient 19. The Carlos III Health Institute, a public
provision, both in the fight against the research organization, compares deaths in
various vectors of infection (in particular recent weeks with those recorded for the
those linked to Italy) and in the provision of same period last year and concludes that the
the necessary equipment (PPE, respirators, actual deaths are probably double the
detection kits, intensive care units, official figures.
protection of the most vulnerable
population such as the elderly) to combat The problem is the lack of statistics on the
the spread of the virus and that coordination number of tests performed. The government
between the various competent does not provide the number of tests
administrations (autonomous regions, performed on a daily basis, let alone the
central government and the European number of tests reported as positive and the
Union) could have been significantly number of tests reported as negative.
improved. However, some scientific studies show that
the countries or regions with the highest
Official data number of tests performed relative to the
One aspect of particular concern is the population are those with the lowest
quality of the daily information provided by mortality rates, because in these cases it is
the Ministry of Health on the evolution of easier to detect the vectors of infection and
the pandemic. The less accurate this data is, to isolate more precisely the sources of
the more difficult it is to plan actions to infection and the people most at at risk.
combat the pandemic and the more difficult
it will be to make decisions to plan for Consensus (almost) without negotiation
population containment without risking an Covid-19 has struck Spain at a particularly
increase in infections and deaths. Official sensitive moment in its political history. In
data are only a very partial reference to the recent years, at least since the beginning of
reality of the disease: "Cases do not reflect the economic crisis in 2008, Spanish
(even approximately) infections in the politics has found itself in a worrying spiral
country, which remain unknown; nor are all of polarisation and fragmentation, both
deaths caused by the Covid-19". ideologically (radical parties of the left and
right obtained a significant score in the last
Figures suggesting over 165,000 detected parliamentary elections) and territorially
cases are probably incorrect, as they depend (with very strong secessionist tensions in
on the very limited capacity for screening, Catalonia, but also in other territories).
which is carried out only on the most What is curious is that this deep political
serious cases. According to an estimate by crisis, which has made it difficult to reach a
Imperial College Oxford, published a few consensus at the centre of the political
weeks ago and based on the mortality rate spectrum, has taken place in a few decades
calculated for Covid-19, the number of in which the ideological moderation of the
infections in Spain is expected to exceed 7 Spanish people has been strongly
million people. reinforced, suggesting that much of this
polarisation is due more to the supply of
leaders and political parties than to major
Fondation Robert Schuman | Avril 2020 1GERER LE COVID-19, UN TOUR D’EUROPE
structural schisms in demand on the part of the disease, Italy and Spain, and the
the Spanish population. countries of the North, with Germany and
the Netherlands in the forefront, are proving
In this political climate, it is very difficult to very difficult and are a litmus test for the
establish the consensus needed to deal with future of the Union.
a crisis that is already leading to an
enormous reduction in citizens' rights (with It is true that a global problem such as this
the forced confinement of the population) pandemic must be dealt with at the
and that will have a considerable economic international level and that the calls for
cost, in addition to the cost it already is solidarity made by Italy and Spain, as well
having on daily life. So far, the coalition as by France, should be heard by those
government between the PSOE and countries with a more favourable economic
Podemos has taken measures to deal with situation. But it is also true that the fear of
the pandemic under the cover of the State of the countries of the North that the solidarity
Emergency and has managed to get other effort they are deploying will be
parties (especially those of the centre and undermined by ineffective policies should
right, Ciudadanos and Partido Popular) to encourage the recipient countries to carry
support these measures in the Congress of out governance reforms that are likely to
Deputies. However, these two parties and increase their confidence. That is why,
the country's main business associations, as while the European Union must fully
well as many of the regional governments, commit itself to emerging from this crisis,
are already expressing their opposition to the countries receiving aid must also take
what they perceive as unilateral decisions. responsibility for improving the functioning
of their governance.
Although the government has summoned
all the parties with parliamentary Some doubts regarding the Spanish State’s
representation and all the regional abilities
presidents to hold a meeting during the The main specialists in the functioning of
week of 13 to 19 April in order to begin Spanish public administrations 6 have for
negotiating a major political pact for the many years been pointing to the main
economic and social reconstruction of the problems with these administrations, such
country, this could be a simple marketing as the excessive politicisation of technical
operation that would not really lead to this functions, the lack of genuine professional
major pact, which is indispensable for the public management, the deficient and
joint preparation of appropriate solutions to outdated conception of staff and services
end the crisis. etc. In fact, many of the problems raised in
this study concerning the Spanish public
The European lifeline authorities' response to Covid-19 reveal a
The Covid-19 pandemic has placed the weakness in the latter which we have
whole of the European Union at a witnessed since the transition and which it
crossroads. The destruction it is causing and is increasingly urgent and necessary to
will continue to cause in many EU Member remedy decisively.
States is already putting great pressure on
the EU as a whole, perhaps even The economic and social consequences
contributing to its explosion. Once again, A small sample of data will suffice to obtain
the differences between the countries of the an idea of the enormous economic and
South, especially the two most affected by social cost that this pandemic already has.
6 Rafael Jiménez Asensio, Francisco Longo, Carles
Ramió, Juli Ponce, Salvador Parrado, Manuel Villoria and
Víctor Lapuente, to name but a few.
Fondation Robert Schuman | Avril 2020 2GERER LE COVID-19, UN TOUR D’EUROPE
To begin with, Pedro Sanchez has April, the Munich Institute for Economic
announced a package of measures to Research published a study according to
counter the adverse effects of the crisis, which each week in which the Spanish
worth the equivalent of 20% of Spanish economy is at a standstill would cost
GDP. The unemployment data recorded in between 0.8 and 1.6% of GDP.
March (taking into account that the
containment began on the 14th) is an all- Some economic newspapers quote reports
time record since these figures were from various consultancy firms with
recorded, with an increase of more than equally worrying estimates. For example,
300,000 people, while social security the daily Libremercado reports that experts'
membership has decreased by more than estimates of the fall in GDP for 2020 range
800,000 people. Employment contracts from 5 to 13%.
have also decreased by 26% compared to
the same month of last year 2019. These losses in GDP will be much more
With regard to temporary labour regulation painful for countries like Spain, compared
procedures7, the Ministry of Labour to other countries like Germany. For the
acknowledges that more than 650,000 year 2019 Spain recorded a public deficit of
applications were submitted between 16 nearly €33 billion, or 2.6% of GDP, and a
and 31 March, which, according to data debt of €1.19 trillion, or 95.5 % of the GDP.
from the Periódico de Cataluña, concern Germany's debt totals only 59.8% of the
more than 2 million workers. GDP, which will allow it to access credit in
a much more advantageous situation than
It is still too early to make a sufficiently Spain.
rigorous assessment of the economic and
labour costs that this crisis will entail, as it Spain is facing an unprecedented health
is not known how long the current situation crisis and its responses, although adequate,
will last or how long it will take to return to were probably too late and too improvised.
normal activity. Furthermore, some of the In particular, we have highlighted the lack
predominant economic activities in Spain, of reliable data and the lack of coordination
such as tourism, have a strong seasonal between regions. These hesitations only
component, so that the evaluation of the reveal the weaknesses of a system of
cost depends on when the companies in this governance that should be reformed as a
sector will be allowed to resume their matter of urgency.
activity. The Easter holidays, a period of
high hotel and travel occupancy, have
ended and it is not certain that the situation Fernando Jiménez Sánchez est
will return to normal before the summer Lecturer in Political Science at the
season. University of Murcia
In spite of this, some economists have made
forecasts taking into account different
scenarios and in all these cases, the cost of
the pandemic is very high. For example, a
study by BBVA Research, the Fedea
Foundation and the Rafael del Pino
Foundation estimates a drop in GDP of 4 to
8% according to different scenarios. On 1
7 These procedures allow businesses to make temporary inactive or has been reduced in exchange for maintaining
adjustments to the workforce so that the State bears 70 % the level of employment once the state of emergency is
of the wage costs of workers while the business is over.
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