Albert Rivera and Ines Arrimadas of Ciudadans at a rally. Demotix/Ignacio Luna. All rights reserved.December 20 will mark a watershed in Spain’s political history. Almost 40 years after the return to democracy, the two party system that made possible one of the most impressive national comebacks in recent memory and provided the political stability that allowed for extraordinary economic growth from the late 1970s up until 2008, will most probably give way in a general election that will bury the PP-PSOE dominated system.
Two new parties (left-leaning Podemos and Ciutadans, a centre-right upstart from Catalonia) will gain parliamentary representation, take around 32-37% of the vote combined, and become key political forces in the battle to form government (even allowing for the possibility of Spain's first national coalition government).
But, parliamentary reshuffles aside, the story of this new chapter in Spain’s history has a more interesting angle that is often overlooked. At its core, the shifting political landscape is really about a profound transformation taking place at the heart of Spanish society: generational change.
