It was a National Board without surprises, but it reactivated various views on the political moment and the future of the Christian Democrats (DC). The support for Gabriel Boric without conditions, in a majority way, for some calmed the atmosphere that had been marked by several signals from the DC, which went from stretching the elastic to the position of some who were betting on the possibility of abstaining.
But the rejection of José Antonio Kast, the speeches of some leaderships of the DC such as Carmen Frei and Yasna Provoste, not climbing the tree of a possible government and a letter sent by Boric to the Board – where he made a self-criticism and compromised dialogue “without to deny the advances of the past “-, for some, it made the decision a forceful one and the most reticent to square up.
The Junta had more than 400 militants connected through Zoom. About 390 were at the time of the vote, which was approved by more than 90% of those present, and about 35 expressed reservations. The harshest speech was that of Adolfo Zaldívar Palma – son of the late former senator Adolfo Zaldívar – who reiterated his distance with the support of Boric. Prior to the meeting, he announced that he would vote in favor of Kast. Present at the Board defined their language as “belligerent” and “unpleasant”. In the community they recalled that there is no freedom of action and that, if it persists on that path, the door is open for some militant to pass it on to the Supreme Court.
Although in general, those attending the instance drew happy accounts for having achieved a majority position, that the DC resumed the dialogue with other sectors of the opposition, reaffirm that it is a center-left party, and that it managed to stand out “with force of an extreme right-wing and Pinochetist leader “, there is a transversal coincidence that next year the Christian Democrats must carry out an Ideological Congress to renew itself and review profound aspects of the community.
“Just the name is not enough”
For the remainder of 2021, the DC will focus on the second round and the election of the new board in January. The party had already taken the first steps towards an Ideological Congress, which was stopped by the social outbreak and then by the pandemic, and that is why the idea is to hopefully resume it in March 2022, already with the new directive assumed.
The idea – they say – is both to analyze the bad electoral results of the store in recent elections, as well as the changes of the community forward, in a context of discrediting politics, and when the traditional parties have been punished. at the polls.
Indeed, Carmen Frei herself in the National Board said that the DC must rectify the course. “I see my party with sadness and concern. I feel that our party is sick and we must work hard to heal it (…). We have to choose between being a community that was formed to serve Chile or becoming a kind of montonera where everything is traded, even convictions, “said the Christian Democrat helmsman.
“The DC is at a stage in which it must rethink whether it remains or dies,” said a DC militant, who added that the ways of connecting with society must be addressed. Meanwhile, another member of the community assured that “the party, as it is, is exhausted. The party has to evolve into a different party, especially with the new Constitution.”
In this understanding, several consulted say that it is not necessary to close to anything, that is, that things such as a name change can be discussed, but “that it is not just cosmetic”, until it is reconsidered whether or not they are a social-Christian party. “A party that is capable of summoning from the liberal progressive world to the social democratic world, aiming at the progressive center that is orphaned,” points out a former leader.
The political analyst of the University of Talca, Mauricio Morales, considered that “the DC is electorally in the UCI. It comes from two almost shameful presidential defeats and its bench of deputies is minimal. It is already becoming an irrelevant party, without prejudice to that with that same bench it can function as a hinge party in the next government, although that depends more on the political dynamics than on the party itself. “
“He never put a barrier to the left and instead of competing with it he dedicated himself to agreeing. And when the center pacts with the left, it is the left that wins. If the DC does not understand that its only role is to become a party programmatically intense, with leaderships that are recognized and capable of facing the left and the right with the same force, there will no longer be DC after the next legislative elections, “added the academic.
Morales recalled that part of the strengthening of Yasna Provoste occurred with her harshness towards the Government, which was blurred when “she assumed a collaborative, soft and lukewarm attitude with Boric.”
In the Christian Democrats they believe that the level of the crisis is deep, but that it would not lead to massive resignations from the party, as happened in 2018, with the departure of Mariana Aylwin and Soledad Alvear, among other militants from the store.
