Happy Community of Madrid Day! An ideal place to settle. One of the most prosperous regions in Europe, unaffected by the north-south split between rich and poor, neither in the region nor in the capital. Thus, the green mountains of the north and the dry countryside of the south have the same GDP, and the famous divisions of Salamanca and Lavapiés are interchangeable, a result of Madrid residents not having to live in poverty or discriminated environments. Madrid, where there is no political laxity regarding the possible abuse by security forces who pursue street vendors and undocumented immigrants as if they were the cause and not the result of a corrupt system.
It is also a community united with the capital of the kingdom: the great city that welcomes you with open arms. Perhaps because the rent price is reasonable and you can live close to work, as well as within the M30, in its cultural and spiritual heart. You won’t find apartments at exorbitant prices, barely ventilated and in uninhabitable areas: garages, doorman’s lodges, and storage rooms. Those who live in Madrid and spend their salary on rent do so because they want to. And this is due to the effort of its politicians: national, regional, and local.
Thanks to the effort of its politicians, those who live in Madrid and spend their salary on rent do so because they want to
But the excellence of a community is not only granted by decent housing. In Madrid, if you get sick, waiting lists are almost nonexistent. Public healthcare is not threatened by private healthcare – nor is the university. If, moreover, a new pandemic were to arise, the institutions would not let you die at home. The numbers displayed on the shirts by nursing home workers would be close to zero. And masks would have regulated prices thanks to the agreements of its politicians.
What an honor to call oneself from Madrid! A land permeable to other democratic regimes that has awarded medals to Milei and Donald Trump for being “the main beacon of the free world.” Very culturally porous. It even has its own falla in Madrid Río! A spectacle that especially pleases the river’s wildlife.
It has no beach or mountain, but it doesn’t need them. You can always make one. To that end, the capital’s most important station would be renamed if necessary as Vodafone Sol and the Puerta del Sol would be decorated for New Year’s with the letters of a Netflix series. These identity usurpations would be balanced by the political effort to ensure the survival of traditional neighborhood businesses. Because this city is not a beautiful shell with guts parasitized by multinationals and vulture funds. Madrid was the first Western region to ban tourist rentals and to reduce to two the number of properties allowed per person. It has set jurisprudence in this regard. It does not execute orders without considering the people. Identification with the citizen is key. That is why here it is even free to urinate in the stations. The mere idea of Atocha’s bathroom being paid is ridiculous.
But the best thing about Madrid is that its leaders would never boast of flawless management nor point to Madrid as a paradise. They are aware that they are very far from guaranteeing their inhabitants basic rights such as decent housing, and first-rate public education and healthcare. And that makes them great.
Now, let’s see who is clever enough to pull a Trueba and wish that we do not celebrate the Second of May today. Long live the Community of Madrid !
