Spain shows that some voters still want centrism

People do not always think through the metaphors they use. Though the phrase “meteoric rise” is common, meteors are better known for falling. Prices are said to “spike” even when their rise is not accompanied by a descent. And when people talk about “waves” sweeping Europe, they often forget a crucial feature: waves break. That seems to have been what happened to the wave of nationalist populism that failed to sweep into Spain in the general election on July 23rd.