Former Madrid mayor Manuela Carmena has raised concerns about Spanish democracy, arguing that entrenched party interests and professional politicians can erode public trust and weaken governance. In a wide-ranging reflection, she drew on her own experience and the example of neurologist Rita Levi, who continued her research past the age of 100, to show that the mind can remain active and engaged with age.
During her judicial career, Carmena encountered corruption and informal payments in the Spanish legal system. She recalled her time in La Palma, where residents complained about paying taxes without seeing improvements, and her work in Madrid, where lawyers and court officials negotiated extra fees for services. These practices, known as “astillas” in the 1980s, were curbed after the press exposed them, she said, stressing the value of transparency and public scrutiny. Carmena retired as a judge in December 2010 after roughly 45 years in the legal profession.
Carmena entered municipal politics with Ahora Madrid, the platform she led in the 2015 election. It won 20 seats on Madrid’s council, one fewer than the Partido Popular. Carmena became mayor after securing support from the Partido Socialista Obrero Español. She served from 2015 to 2019. In that year, Más Madrid, the list she led after breaking with Podemos and launching the new platform with Íñigo Errejón, won the most votes but could not assemble a governing majority.
Carmena has said she was initially reluctant to run for mayor, but the chance to offer an alternative to established party figures persuaded her. She has described her approach to public office as grounded in listening to residents and staying in direct contact, including by using public transport. As mayor, her administration expanded BiciMAD and pursued two changes in basic Madrid: redeveloping Plaza de España and establishing the Madrid Basic low-emission zone. Carmena has maintained that the mayor’s role is to serve the city, not advance party agendas.
That focus on direct contact informs Carmena’s criticism of conventional campaign rallies. In an interview with Cadena SER, she proposed replacing them with “job interviews” where voters question candidates directly. Recalling a similar approach during her Madrid campaign, she said, “I didn’t want to hold rallies,” and called the citizen meetings “quite effective.” In her view, the format puts candidates’ priorities and competence before residents instead of relying on partisan spectacle.
She warns that democracy suffers when elected officials put party loyalty ahead of constituents’ interests. Political parties, she argues, should influence society without dominating it. Applauding a proposal simply because it comes from one’s own party, regardless of merit, weakens public debate. Carmena has connected that conduct to the appeal of populist and anti-system movements, arguing that disregard for the wider public good can destabilize institutions.
Carmena has also questioned the growth of career politics, saying people who depend entirely on holding office may lose sight of their responsibilities to the public. She has criticized what she sees as a decline in politicians’ educational backgrounds and warned that financial incentives can sometimes outweigh commitment to public service. The pressure of party primaries and the risk of personal attacks, she says, can also deter capable people from entering politics.
After leaving the mayoralty in 2019, Carmena stepped back from frontline politics while continuing her civic and social work in Madrid. She has collaborated with Zapatelas, a solidarity shop in Malasaña that sells children’s clothing made by incarcerated women. Her ongoing work on social causes accompanies her call for a more inclusive democracy, where voters can support different parties at different times and elected officials serve the whole public.
Questions of public service and institutional trust, including mental health, have also surfaced in other regions. Coverage of Andalusia’s mental health plan, for example, has highlighted gaps in support for vulnerable groups and the need for sustained attention to social care and public accountability. As reported in Andalusia's mental health system, public institutions depend in part on the integrity and responsiveness of those responsible for them.
Spain’s political field continues to shift, as new parties and changing alliances challenge traditional structures. The concerns Carmena raises, including corruption and party dominance, sit alongside calls for renewed civic engagement in debates about representative democracy. Its health depends on rules and procedures, as well as the commitment and character of those entrusted with public responsibility.
