The political season has begun with the long and juicy interview that my friend Gaby, from the radio chair in the mornings, gave to the head of government. Among other things, Xavier Espot alluded to two prominent members of the opposition, Cerni Escalé and Carine Montaner, a fact that has not been well received – and not surprisingly – by those affected. Mr. Espot said that they are not ready to take on the responsibilities of governing and that, if they ever reach the third floor of Prat de la Creu, we can already put our shoes on. It is natural that, from the vantage point of seven years, three months and twenty-two days of experience at the head of the Government, things are seen from a different perspective. But when Xavier Espot became head of government, in May 2019, he couldn’t know exactly what awaited him either. And that he had been a minister for years and knew the ins and outs of the administration well. I don’t even want to imagine, however, the vertigo of the first day of school, with a whole country – big or small, that’s the same – to start. What must it feel like to arrive at the office and find empty drawers, hot potatoes, open files and urgent problems? Just understanding how the bureaucratic machinery of the Government works should be validated with a doctorate. And, despite everything, all those who dealt with it have left and the State has not imploded. It will have cost them more or less; they will have had more or less good or more or less cohesive teams. Some have found positive allies in party colleagues; others, fearsome adversaries in sheep’s clothing. It doesn’t have to be easy. The only common denominator they must have is ambition, a certain ego and a desire to serve the country. It’s not enough, of course. But governing is perhaps only learned by governing.
