Podcast Summary: "Acontece que no es poco | Muere Maquiavelo (1527) y se aprueba la Ley del Divorcio (1981)"

Podcast: Todo Concostrina (SER Podcast)
Host: Nieves Concostrina
Date: June 22, 2023
Episode Theme:
This episode travels through time to spotlight two significant events that coincided on June 22, albeit centuries apart: the death of Niccolò Machiavelli in 1527 and the approval of the Divorce Law in Spain in 1981. With her characteristic wit and critical perspective, host Nieves Concostrina draws connections between Machiavelli’s philosophy and political maneuverings in modern Spanish history, particularly referencing the political right’s shifting approach to social legislation.

Main Discussion Points and Insights

1. Bridging Two Historical Events (01:18–03:27)

• Concostrina’s Provocative Framing: Nieves sets out to "meter el dedo en el ojo" (“poke a bit of fun”), connecting how Machiavellian tactics—characterized in the dictionary as proceeding with "deslealtad y doblez" (disloyalty and duplicity)—were also manifest in the political opposition to the divorce law.

  • "Por eso, según el manual de Maquiavelo, los populares son buenos políticos, son maquiavélicos." — Nieves Concostrina [03:22]

• Historical Context:

  • 1527: Death of Machiavelli, a realist and misunderstood figure often saddled with undue infamy.
  • 1981: Spain finally passes its Divorce Law, facing massive opposition from the conservative bloc, especially Alianza Popular (precursor to the current PP).

2. Machiavelli’s Reputation, Manual, and Misconceptions (03:55–08:07)

• Enduring Bad Reputation:

  • "¿Por qué ha arrastrado tan mala fama Maquiavelo? Si al fin y al cabo se limitó a hacer una descripción del gobernante de la época." — Carla [03:55]
  • Nieves explains that Machiavelli simply described political reality with stark honesty, and that subsequent epónimos (concepts named after people) have unfairly stained figures like him and the Marquis de Sade.
    • "Maquiavelo solo expuso de forma muy cruda, muy realista, las cualidades que debía tener el que quisiera gobernar..." — Nieves [04:44]

• The Misattributed Phrase: "El fin justifica los medios" (The End Justifies the Means):

  • "La frase más famosa que conocemos de Maquiavelo no es suya." — Nieves [06:54]
  • She clarifies that Machiavelli never actually wrote this iconic aphorism, though it captures the essence of his analysis that political survival often contradicts ideals of prudence, justice, and clemency.

• Political Application:

  • Comparison to the Spanish right (PP): Consistently voting against progressive laws, yet adopting (and benefiting from) them post-implementation.
    • "Como los del PP, que votan contra todo pero luego, siguiendo los consejos de Maquiavelo, se adaptan al contexto." — Nieves [07:58]

3. The Passage of the Divorce Law (08:07–13:02)

• Spain’s Unique Backwardness:

  • "España entonces era el único país de la Europa occidental que no la tenía." — Carla on Divorce Law in 1981 [08:08]
  • Nieves highlights how many members of UCD (and especially Alianza Popular, founded by former Francoist Fraga Iribarne) opposed even enshrining the potential for divorce in the 1978 Constitution.

• Hypocrisy and “Privilege”:

  • Wealthy and elite Spaniards circumvented the divorce ban through costly church annulments, benefiting celebrities and aristocrats, while ordinary people had no recourse:
    • "Los curas ya tienen divorcio, pero lo llaman nulidades, son más rentables..." — Nieves [09:42]

• Tumultuous Parliamentary Session (10:08–13:02):

  • The session to pass the Divorce Law was historic and fraught, especially over the so-called "cláusula de dureza" (harshness clause) that would have allowed (often Francoist) judges to block divorces at will.
  • Quotes the drama and rage from certain Christian-Right UCD members upon losing the vote, notably Óscar Alzaga, and highlights their moralizing as hypocritical.
    • "Eso fue una locura. Intentar frenar lo que no le convenía a la ultraderecha y a la multinacional católica." — Nieves [08:40]

• Secret Voting and Machiavellian Tactics:

  • The vote’s secrecy allowed some on the far right to discreetly support the measure for their own benefit:
    • "Varios de ultraderecha estaban deseando largarse con la amante e iban a votar a favor en blanco." — Nieves [12:00]

• Irony Post-Legislation:

  • Conservatives who battled against the Divorce Law were among the first to use it, including prominent PP figures and their families, and the same cycle repeated with other social laws (marriage equality, abortion, etc.)
    • "Hace unos años un político socialista recomendaba al PP que diera un repaso a los consejos de ministros de Aznar y Zapatero a ver en cuál de los dos salían más divorciados, porque los de Aznar lo petaron." — Nieves [12:40]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Machiavellianism:

• "Dice el diccionario que el maquiavelismo es una forma de proceder con deslealtad y con doblez. Y esas fueron las maneras en 1981 de Alianza Popular..." — Nieves Concostrina [02:05]
• "Es mucho más seguro ser temido que amado. Y esto a los malos les ha funcionado siempre." — Nieves Concostrina [06:08]

On Historical Irony:

• "Que nadie se hace con un gobierno pidiendo las cosas por favor. Que hay que usar la fuerza y las armas, pero ojo, que hay que demostrar virtudes también para que los súbditos te quieran un poquito." — Nieves Concostrina [07:30]
• "La ley del divorcio salió adelante. Que luego hubo que explicarles a los de derechas que no era obligatoria porque se tiraron como locos a divorciarse." — Nieves Concostrina [12:37]

On the Power of Names:

• "Cada vez que un apellido da nombre a un concepto es un epónimo... la Real Academia cubre de mala fama el nombre de las personas que no son tan malas." — Nieves Concostrina [04:37]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:43] Why relate Machiavelli to Divorce Law in Spain? — Introduction to the parallel between realism in politics and Spanish legislative history.
• [03:11] Maquiavélicos modernos: PP y la resistencia a leyes sociales — Summary of the political hypocrisy in Spain's right-wing parties.
• [04:15–06:23] The Origins of Machiavelli's Bad Reputation — Debunking myths and explaining his real contribution to political thought.
• [06:45–08:07] The False Attribution of “El fin justifica los medios” — Explaining the persistent misreading of Machiavelli.
• [08:20–10:08] The Context for Divorce Law in Spain — Detailing the social and political background leading to the 1981 legislation.
• [10:08–12:37] The Tumultuous Passage of the Law — Colorful description of the drama in Spain’s parliament.
• [12:00] Why was the vote secret? — NIEVES’ sharp commentary on clandestine self-interest among “moralists”.
• [12:37–end] The Aftermath — How those who opposed the law became its users and benefactors.

Overall Tone and Style

Nieves Concostrina delivers her historical narratives with sharp wit, irony, and a critical edge, making pointed analogies between historical figures and contemporary politics. The episode is conversational, irreverent, and laced with humor and colloquialisms—hallmarks of Concostrina’s popular approach to public history.

In Summary

This episode of "Acontece que no es poco" serves as both a brisk lesson on Machiavelli’s misunderstood legacy and a stinging critique of Spain’s political hypocrisy—drawing a thread from 16th-century Florence to 20th-century Madrid. Through anecdotes, memorable quotes, and rich historical context, Concostrina exposes the timeless pattern: those who most strenuously resist change often become its greatest beneficiaries.