It had been weeks in the making: Germany's President Christian Wulff has finally resigned. Justice will determine whether he committed a crime; in any case, it is a minor matter. As so many other times - in countries where politicians resign - Wulff's undoing was not so much the incident itself (an undeclared loan and a vacation at a millionaire friend's residency program ) as the concealment of the truth. Clinton almost lost the U.S. presidency, not because he had a love affair with the intern, but because he lied. Human weakness is accepted, but once the culprit has been caught red-handed, he has to admit it and act accordingly: resignation, appearance before a judge, restitution of the stolen goods, return of the doctor's degree scroll ...

The German president's resignation is in line with other notable resignations in recent weeks: the president of the Swiss Central Bank had to resign because his wife had benefited from privileged information in the purchase of foreign currency; the British Minister of Energy has left for having endorsed his wife a traffic fine... in 2003. If we compare these episodes with Spanish politics, it is striking to see how finely the threads are woven in these European democracies. What would barely merit a passing mention in any discussion or chronicle in Spain, causes a real scandal there, capable of ruining the most established or promising political careers.

These days we are witnessing the umpteenth act of dramas -or tragicomedies: one feels perplexed when it comes to calling them- such as Gürtel, the Andalusian ERE or the remuneration of politicians on the boards of the savings banks (including Caja Navarra). Very serious things can happen here, due to their nature or the amount of money at stake - billions, in the case of the EREs - and nothing happens. The parties and governments support their people beyond all logic, and the possibility of resignation does not even cross their minds. And if anyone succumbs to this temptation, he can count on the party not to leave him in the lurch: after a short time he will be suitably rewarded with a new position.

Unfortunately, in Navarre we also have a rich experience in this field. In the eighties and nineties we were even in the front line: Roldán, Urralburu, Aragón, Otano. Fortunately, we have overcome that culture of the big-time buck and now corruption takes on more modest dimensions, proportionate to our small role in this globalized world: from the "caja B" of the Cintrúenigo City Council to the urban planning mess in Egüés, including the awarding of the VPOs in Orkoien. Corruption on a small scale, but corruption nonetheless. There is no reason for complacency.

What can be done with our recalcitrant political class , always ready to go back to the old ways? How to achieve among us a civic culture similar to that of the Germans, Swiss or English? The first thing would be not to fall into simplism: it is true that some politicians are not up to the task, but many others are honest and hardworking. We must support and reward the good ones, even if it is only with words of encouragement through social networks and with the vote in elections: let them feel that they are not rare people, that citizens are with them. And we must never tire of denouncing the bad guys. Communication experts know that in order for a message to get through to the public, it must be repeated tirelessly, with or without occasion. The same applies to denunciation: the repetition of undesirable behavior cannot lead to a dulling of the public's conscience. All too often, ordinary people become complicit in corruption when we consider it inevitable and respond with a simple shrug of the shoulders.

Another remarkable element of the German crisis: Angela Merkel has announced that she will negotiate with the parties of civil service examination a consensus candidate for the presidency. Our crisis is not comparable to the German one, we are much worse off than they are. When will there be a consensus between our parties on so many fundamental issues? The issues at stake require it, and the public is impatiently waiting for it.