One of the basic reasons that primarily explains the ossification of political parties is the perpetuation of an elite that ends up controlling it through the neutralisation of assemblies and the creation of electoral lists.
As I have a lazy afternoon, I’ll choose a very close example: Santa Cruz de Tenerife. In the capital, José Manuel Bermúdez has been serving as mayor since 2011 uninterruptedly, except for the year or so when Patricia Hernández kept the seat warm. Thirteen years as mayor and more to come.
During this long period of stewardship, the committee of the Canary Coalition of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has become more and more unheard of, whose members only meet and exchange greetings and congratulations, according to the gossip, at Christmas, during carnivals, and at the May festivities.
The CC in Santa Cruz is not known for any political, social, economic, commercial, or cultural statements because, as occurs in the current political system, the party apparatuses end up being absorbed by the government, reduced to a sort of “chorus and dances” of the mayor and his councillors, as well as acting as electoral agents in the most basic propaganda tasks when elections are called.
