Rajoy, haunted by spectres GREAT political debates in Spain can generate a powerful sense of occasion as legislators flock to a parliament building which is guarded by two large bronze lions as well as lots of police.
But when deputies gathered for a solemn state-of-the-nation deliberation on February 24th, two of the four most important parties were missing. Chief among them was Podemos (We Can), the upstart left-wing group that leads some polls and has drawn comparisons, albeit imperfect ones, with the Syriza movement that has upended Greek politics.
In recent weeks, however, a new player has arrived. Ciudadanos (Citizens), a centrist party, is scoring up to 13% in polling and it looks well placed to hurt the Popular Party (PP) led by Mariano Rajoy, the prime minister, and also to put a lid on the meteoric growth of Podemos.
With parliament closed to newcomers until a general election late this year, these insurgent parties have found a home just around the corner at the Círculo de Bellas Artes, a cultural center. That is where Pablo Iglesias, the Podemos leader, delivered his alternative state-of-…
