We haven’t heard much about the Third Republic recently. It must be that the best of this country is locked away thinking about the society of the future and defining the ideal means to achieve it. You know: silence always accompanies the processes of deep creativity, since it is not possible to chatter and at the same time design complex things. Varguitas, as an audience, has nothing left but to wait and hope (nice play on words, right? Two terms with the same root that color, with hope, what would otherwise be a gray endurance).
Let’s say that, in effect, the Third Republic, despite the hopeful wait, is nothing more than a slogan and some slogans. Furthermore, let us suppose that they are words to mask the attempt to alter the balance of powers in favor of the Executive and weaken the Legislative and Judicial powers. In presidential regimes like ours, that is called presidential concentration of powers.
Even in this unfortunate, but not improbable, assumption, the Third Republic could be worth it. And no, not in the sense of “let’s have a constituent assembly to have a new Political Constitution.” That’s putting the cart before the oxen. The literature on constitutional reform suggests that, before fundamentally changing a constitution, First, a broad political agreement must be reached on the society that is to be achieved. Otherwise, “tailor-made suits” are produced in favor of the strongest and the result is unstable.
There is another sense in which the Third Republic thing can be useful: to inaugurate a democratic deliberation on the Costa Rica of the future. The key is the objectives and the questions we would address. We could use that slogan as an excuse to build a political agreement on the foundations of the society of 2050. And to find answers on underlying issues: how to stimulate widespread and sustained improvements in productivity that generate more equity and social inclusion? What are the reforms to the State and how to adapt the tax system to these changes? How to confront population aging and the climate crisis to create a more resilient society? How to change electoral democracy to improve representativeness and citizen participation?
This deliberation is urgent. The current direction of the country does not have anyone happy. Let’s take advantage of this situation to do something positive. Why not?
vargascullell@icloud.com
Jorge Vargas Cullell is a sociologist.
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