After analysing left-wing ideologies through the voices of Manuela Carmena, Albert Sáez and Rocío Martínez-Sampere, the second and final Political Cycle of the academic year explored what it means to be on the right and how its political principles have evolved. The session featured Victòria Alsina, political scientist, former Minister of the Government of Catalonia and councillor at Barcelona City Council; Gregorio Luri, philosopher, educator and essayist; and Valentí Puig, writer and columnist. The debate, organised by the Faculty of Philosophy La Salle-URL and the Cercle d’Infraestructures, was moderated by Santi Vila, professor at the same faculty.
The Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, Carles Llinàs, welcomed the audience and highlighted the importance of promoting these cycles to foster debate and reflection within the campus community. In this regard, Santi Vila expressed his satisfaction at seeing familiar faces from the previous session: “The fact that you attended the previous session and today’s one shows your curiosity, and the willingness to understand arguments from those who do not think like you is a good in itself”.
Conservatism, the right and the centre
The Political Cycle began with the question, 'What does it mean to be right-wing?' Valentí Puig opened the discussion by stating that today “there is an omnipresence of reactivity over prudence, which is one of Aristotle’s values,” and described himself as a liberal conservative: “A conservative believes that when change is not necessary, it should not be made, and we live in a society devoted to change for the sake of change,” he added.
For her part, Victòria Alsina stressed that until now “there had been a consensus around the welfare state, but the debate is now between those who defend institutionalism and those who, from populism, question the rules of the game”. Alsina also noted that “in Catalonia there is strong reluctance to say that you are right-wing,” and introduced a new idea: “If you organise a third cycle, it should focus on the future of the centre. I understand the centre as a complex and demanding balance between economy, society and public administration, and that is where I position myself. If the right is articulated around the binomial of order and freedom, when we speak about the centre we do so from the balance between individual freedom and community”. Gregorio Luri closed the first round by defining himself as a conservative with a quote from Josep Pla: “A conservative is someone who does not want to leave any place without paying”. Luri also explained that “to progress is to rise, not to run,” and that “conservatism is characterised by the impossibility of shedding the enigma of history”.
Reflection, debate and critical thinking
In the second part of the discussion, the speakers delved deeper into the current context of right-wing ideologies, from both local and international perspectives. “When we speak about social bonds, we should not forget that it is easier to build connections with people with whom you share something than to build bridges with those with whom you share nothing. Bridges may be more necessary than bonds, but they are more difficult to construct,” explained Gregorio Luri. Victòria Alsina reaffirmed the idea that “the right that speaks about community tends to be more successful,” and concluded: “Uncertainty as a reaction leads many people towards parties offering immediate solutions”. Finally, Valentí Puig closed his remarks: “Order and freedom have a biological balance that must be maintained. I do not know whether today’s right considers that this balance is more necessary than ever”.
During the Q&A session, attendees, including many Philosophy students, raised current political issues, the use of artificial intelligence in analysis and decision-making, demographics, birth rates and political parties. The presence of participants from different areas and disciplines across the campus consolidates the Political Cycle as a space for cross-disciplinary reflection and debate, for the democratisation of knowledge and for fostering critical thinking. In previous editions, the Political Cycle analysed the vocation of politics with Artur Mas and Iñigo Urkullu, the United States elections, and the broader European and European Union context.