World Cup: Crowds cheering in Basque towns, Spanish flags waving in Barcelona. Spain's World Cup victory over the Netherlands has temporarily brought together a fractured nation.
Outsiders often forget just how much regional divisions limit Madrid's ability to act decisively. For example, regional politicians have slowed down reform of the savings banks. The day before the World Cup, hundreds of thousands of Catalans marched on the streets of Barcelona to protest against a Spanish court decision curtailing the regional government's rights. Not everyone was happy to see Spain win: there were a few incidents of violence in both Catalonia and the Basque country late on Sunday night. But the win shows an underlying national sentiment.
In football, Spain is one nation. Half the team is either Catalan or plays for the Barca side, and there are players from all over the country, including the Basque country. They have all worked together to deliver what long seemed an impossible dream. The victory is just the latest sign that Spanish sport is in a golden age.
In tennis there is Rafa Nadal and there are world class basketball players such as Pau Gasol and top cyclists.
If history is any guide, the World Cup victory will give a short-term boost to tourism - a key industry in Spain. The game has imprinted millions of eyeballs with a triumphant image of Spain in a way that no “Made in Spain” campaign could ever do.
The World Cup win won’t erase the country’s heavy debts. But it will boost morale, perhaps enough to persuade Spaniards to climb up the world league tables in financial and economic reform.
