Fernando Díaz Villanueva

The surprising exception to this unwritten “disaster” law, is the autonomous community of Madrid, a tiny region stuck in the middle of nowhere and to which everyone refers in the most disdainful manner. The report is conclusive; between 1995 and 2004 Madrid created 756,200 jobs, that is, the actively employed population grew 45% in less than a decade. Back in 1995, a year before the socialists were to lose power, there were 1,688,300 people living in Madrid. In 2004, year in which the socialists returned to power, there are now 2,444,500 people. For those allergic to numbers, this means that in nine years Madrid has created more jobs than Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Finland combined, four times more than Greece or more than double Belgium. I am sure this clears things up.

The myth, perpetuated by the usual legion of envious onlookers, says Madrid has never moved beyond being a lazy Royal Court populated by innumerable civil servants, ministerial staff and elegant thieves. Perhaps this is why the Commission’s report has gone unnoticed. Because if, for example, the Basque Country, and even more Catalonia, were to offer up such numbers, any listener of socialist controlled Radio SER would have them memorized by now, school children would intone them in verse before starting class. To our great disappointment, we must bow to the nationalists’ propagandistic talent and, on the other hand, the total incapacity of the conservatives governing Madrid to get out the word. Because, in my humble opinion, close to a million people finding work in the past nine years is something worth boasting about. Or no?

Somewhere, I read Madrid is a miracle. The capital of the Kingdom of Spain has nothing that a first glance would lead one to think it is a prosperous city. It has no harbor, its river is little more than trickle, the nation’s borders are far away and to get anywhere by land one has to cross the huge human desert of the two Castile provinces (Castilla La Mancha and Castilla y Leon). What is the secret? In my opinión, Madrid’s success lies in the almost 6 million souls living in the community and in the regional government’s sensible policies. In the land of Cervantes, one has a feeling of belonging wherever one wants to belong. And this is enough. Everything else comes on its own. Vaccinated against vulgar small-townness, Madrileños have raced halfway down a path other more favored regions have not even begun. As regards the government, it has had at least something to do with this. The State Capital in Puerta del Sol sticks its nose where it does not belong, but much less in comparison to any of the fiefdoms scattered around the nation’s landscape. The two ingredients are there for whoever wishes to try out the recipe: lots of people and little government. You do not need anything else.