There is little more than a month left for Spaniards to return to the polls. It will be May 28th. The proximity of electoral appointments subjects us to a climate of "permanent campaigning" that threatens citizens' confidence in politics. In the midst of the heated debates of the moment, it is necessary to think together again about a classic but vital concept: the common good.

Political communication sometimes seems to be a set of "tricks" and strategies to win elections or perpetuate oneself in power. There is a need for another kind of political communication, that of people of integrity who make their integrity resonate with the rest of the citizens.

Politicians and their communication advisors focus on fear; they spread simplistic and schematic messages that hinder the alliances demanded by social crises. In such a context, skepticism and hopelessness prevail: public opinion perceives that the political class will continue to engage in their quarrels while the solution to the problems is postponed. Strategies and tools abound; propaganda abounds, but true communication is lacking.

The application of marketing techniques to policy may be part of the problem.

There are visions of marketing that cause serious damage to politics, reinforcing the "myth of market share" (if I win, you lose) or encouraging personalism and "short-termism". But marketing serves to acquire the qualities of the good salesman, who knows his audience and knows how to anticipate their needs. In marketing, you know that you can't forget people for three years. Remember that you are speaking to different audiences; that "coffee for everyone" will no longer work.

Marketing knows that a brand takes time to build: if you only think in four years, it is impossible to build a great project. In our society there is no lack of major problems (the aging of the population or youth unemployment, for example) that imply agreements beyond the framework of legislatures and parties.

Digital spaces have awakened great hopes. Somehow, we are closer to other people; they can be the "agora" of exchange for solutions and ideas. The Greek agora was a point of meeting, but also a place where people only cared about commenting on the latest news. So perhaps what is important is not just that we are talking: we also need to look at the quality of the conversation.

Along the same lines, it can be said that there is a political discussion in social networks. But does it help to create a political community? Will it bring us closer together or drive us further apart? Political "conversations" on the digital continent are far from true dialogue: influencers, activists and, at times, hotheads tend to dominate Public discourse, while valuable voices are marginalized. This is the polarized context that recently characterized the Edelman Barometer, in which the social fabric deteriorates. Real debates often fall victim to belligerent individuals who use digital media as loudspeakers.

In the last 20 years, digital media have mobilized protests and provoked political earthquakes. Technology can contribute to the "power of the powerless," more present in the public conversation. Social media "revolutions" are reminiscent of the virtual communities of which Robert Escarpit (1977) spoke, arguing that the concept of mass dissolves, replaced by "an intricate network of communication channels where year after year new groups emerge with their own identity, patterns of behavior and balances of influence."

Increased "personalization" is another challenge for the common good and trust. As Parisier explained in The Bubble Filter (2017), each person finds different results on the network . Searches depend on previous searches: they focus not so much on what there is to know as on previous behaviors. Instead of a common experience, the knowledge becomes more individualized.

How does one promote the common good in such fragmented societies? It seems necessary to facilitate meeting spaces that help society to flourish. The challenges become more relevant because we are not moving towards less connected societies. Rather, it seems that in the future of Big Data and artificial intelligence, connection will be more intense and continuous. Stirring up new habits of reflection on the messages one receives will be crucial.

Some people insist on seeing the world as a place full of rivals, competitors and enemies (imaginary or real). We forget that we are part of a society. We lack the generosity and open-mindedness necessary to recognize the merit of the ideas of others and to seek common ground meeting. What remains of the respect, and sometimes even admiration, that we should have for those who do not think as we do? We often succumb to attitudes that do not allow us to engage in dialogue: arrogance, not knowing how to listen, disqualification beforehand. Indeed, whoever wants to build society must stop seeing in others an evil to be "eliminated".

The best policies offer win-win solutions. Dialogue and the search for unity are not the utopias of the naïve and idealistic, but practical, reasonable and humane solutions. For society to function, it is necessary that sensible and capable women and men take the time to discuss complex issues in an atmosphere of mutual understanding that allows the exchange of information and search for solutions. A community of people who are diverse, but who feel mutual respect and admiration and agree on the desire to work for the common good. Let us hope that there will also be room for this in this 2023 marked by electoral appointments.