The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, has accused this Saturday the traditional European right, and specifically the PP, of naivety in becoming a “satellite” of the extreme right, which he compared to a tiger that whoever rides on its back ends up devouring in its “jaws.”
Sánchez sent this warning message in his speech at the closing of the congress of the European Socialist Party held in Amsterdam, which reserved for him a relevant role as one of the few European heads of government from the socialist family.
He also called for expanding Europe's social pillar in the face of the threat he said to workers' rights, and included in that section the existence of a common minimum wage throughout the EU.
Much of his speech was focused on the risk of the extreme right and the attitude of the traditional right, which he considers to be attacking conquered rights by undermining the foundations of democracy. Given this, he recalled a phrase by former United States President John F. Kennedy, which he believes perfectly describes the strategy: “those who seek power by riding on the backs of tigers end up in their jaws.” “That is what is happening with the conventional right,” warned the socialist leader.
“Will they ever learn the lessons of history?” asked Sánchez, who referred to the situation in Spain to regret that the PP has become a “satellite” of Vox and is willing to “restrict the right to abortion, deny the climate emergency, avoid democratic memory and take steps back in gender violence.”
In his analysis, he explained that the right has bought all the ideas of the extreme right because “they are afraid of staying in the shadow of those tigers on which they believe they ride.”
“Not a step back”
“They themselves are victims of the hatred and lies of the extreme right,” added the President of the Government, who, in the face of this attitude, guaranteed that the socialists are not going to take a step back, called for a European mobilization and stressed that the unity of the social democratic family is its strength.
The President of the Government asked to act coherently to be credible, and that is why he defended that there be no double standards in situations such as those experienced in Gaza or Ukraine.
In the same way, he called for continuing the path of reducing greenhouse gases to confront climate change, which is what he assured that Spain is doing without sacrificing economic growth.
Sánchez recalled that in Europe they talk about the “Spanish model” and said that he is proud of it, but he specified that he likes to talk, because he believes it is reality, about the model of social democracy.
“A model that creates wealth and distributes it; a model that thinks about the planet and future generations; a model that works,” he added, then citing some of the main concerns and problems that he believes must be addressed.
Among them, access to housing because “living with dignity cannot be a privilege, but a right,” and continuing to advance gender equality without taking even a step back.
To this he added the commitment to the ecological transition not only out of moral conviction, but because the future and prosperity assured that they are in a green economy and represents an opportunity for societies.
“We choose to stand up, not hide; we choose to move forward with courage, not to give in to fear; we choose a bright future over the ghosts of the dark past; we choose and act and go for it,” he encouraged the European socialist family.