t was a political bombshell, one that prompted shock and set off debate across much of Spain.
In recent years, however, things have started to change, particularly as politicians themselves sound the alarm. “We’re certainly having this conversation much more frequently now,” Weinberg said. “We’re hearing politicians saying: ‘There’s only so long I can do this’.”as he announced his resignation as taoiseach earlier this year, noting: “Politicians are human beings and we have our limitations. We give it everything until we can’t any more.
Social media also plays a large role. It “has really changed the game”, McArthur said. “One of the older interviewees told us that you used to receive maybe a letter a week. And then when email came in, he would receive a few emails. But now, for the younger generation, he acknowledged that they were receiving often hateful, harassing messages thousands of times a day, potentially.”that this harassment can be particularly acute for women and people of colour, McArthur said.
“We need political leaders to be at the top of their game,” McArthur said, particularly as they grapple with critical issues such as the climate crisis and polarisation. “We need them to be making the best decisions possible because their decisions affect all of our lives in a myriad of ways.”