measures of discomfort

No calculation of the economic cost of the war in Ukraine can be optimistic or trivializing a bill that will be enormous, probably higher than that left by a pandemic that has not yet been overcome.

Today the

of the war adds to previous tensions and pushes to make decisions in the short, medium and long term, but it does not seem that any of them should be dictated by the populist impulse of magical and immediate solutions.

The problem will be with us for a long time and hot responses can worsen the situation instead of manufacturing the conditions to balance the now unequally distributed costs of the war, the 2008 crisis and the consequences of the pandemic.

The far-right union called a demonstration on Saturday to make electricity cheaper with very little influx;

Yesterday, Sunday, another demonstration called by agricultural, livestock and rural organizations in general did manage to bring together tens of thousands of people with the support of Vox again and also in this case of the PP.

The strike of carriers promoted by a minority organization has boycotted access to wholesale markets and caused shortages, especially of fresh products.

The political instrumentalization of the real anguish of various sectors should not prevent us from analyzing the serious difficulties that runaway inflation spreads socially and how the temperature in the street can rise.

The increase in fuel prices, fertilizers, cereal,

water and electricity have been the trigger for the agricultural sector to question the viability of its farms in the face of unaffordable production costs accelerated by the war.

The rise in electricity and the lack of supplies have already caused the suspension of the activity of numerous Spanish companies.

Taxes will continue to be an indispensable tool to face the cost of the crisis.

Lowering them indiscriminately can weaken the system's ability to withstand a lasting crisis.

But modulate a reduction mechanism for weaker families, industries and the self-employed and, at the same time, increase taxes on electricity companies to try to compensate for the rise in electricity bills for affected consumers and companies, as the OECD suggested a few years ago days, could balance the social costs of the crisis.

Some countries, such as France, Germany, Italy or Portugal, have chosen to announce urgent measures for the month of April, and in some cases already apply some immediate ones to offset the rise in energy prices, split the payment of bills for families without resources or even finance companies whose raw material costs have spiraled out of control.

In Spain, the Government moves on two fronts with a fixed date without specifying any measure at the moment.

Pedro Sánchez's recent meetings with the presidents of Italy, Greece and Portugal culminated with his visit to Olaf Scholz on Friday in order to defend a common position of the southern countries with a view to the next European Council —March 24 and 25— on the electricity market to separate the price of gas from that of electricity.

And the second front is at home, where the widest possible political agreement is sought for a national plan that addresses the consequences of the war and that would be approved on March 29, after knowing the decisions that are adopted in Brussels for all.

Both fronts require urgent but, at the same time, realistic and sustainable measures over time.