Sunday 17 April 2011

Right Getting Grumpy



For political and personal reasons, this was always going to be Sebastian Piñera's government. Not Renovacion Nacional's, and certainly not the UDI's. It is not a cabinet government, but then presidential systems rarely have those. In this case, cabinet members really do serve at the pleasure (and often, displeasure) of the president. At the same time, President Piñera has been quite loyal to his ministers. It takes a lot to get fired from a Piñera cabinet, or other position. The LinkJVR case shows just how much hanky panky Piñera is willing to take before cutting people loose.

If Piñera is willing to put up with a lot, it seems many on the right are not, and are becoming increasingly and vocally grumpy. On a popular television interview programme, Senator Pablo Longuiera complained that this government has no political narrative. Today, an influential columnist in El Mercurio says that unforced errors in government (and he complains that there have been many) are similar to those in football, and that in both cases they stem from being too timid and uncommitted.

I wonder if the president is noticing that his supporters are feeling grumpy?
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