The harsh criticism from two left-wing European newspapers of Sánchez's pact with Puigdemont

@ElentirENG ES 11·19·2023 · 18:24 0

The Spanish left usually labels as "far-right" all those who oppose it. Now the labels are going to run out.

Spain does not surrender: massive protest against the socialist coup on the rule of law
Spain: the list of the institutions that reject the socialist attack against the rule of law

The Guardian accuses Sánchez of committing a “breach of faith”

Two influential left-wing European newspapers have published articles in recent hours harshly criticizing Pedro Sánchez's pact with Puigdemont to achieve re-election. In the United Kingdom, the newspaper The Guardian, the most influential medium of the British left, today dedicates its section "The Observer" to Pedro Sánchez, remembers that the Popular Party won the elections and that Sánchez came second, and adds: "many are wondering whether his triumph has come at too high a cost to the country’s democratic system."

The Guardian recalls that Sánchez "he solemnly pledged, prior to July’s vote, not to do exactly what he has now done – that is, pardon the separatists." The British newspaper describes Sánchez's turn as an "breach of faith" and points out that has "given the general public a further reason not to trust politicians." The Guardian also points out the effects of the pact, contradicting Sanchez's words that he does it for "the interest of Spain":

"The irony of all this is that backing for Catalan independence has slumped of late. Of 48 seats contested in the region in July, 34 went to centrist parties opposed to independence. Yet now the pact may revive Catalan (and Basque) separatist agitation."

“Sánchez’s amnesty has all the hallmarks of a bad deal, reached in bad faith”

The final paragraph of the Guardian article is devastating for the Spanish socialist leaderand for his image among the European left itself:

"In short, Sánchez’s amnesty has all the hallmarks of a bad deal, reached in bad faith, secured at too high a cost and unlikely to stick for long. Is this unpopular, legally dubious, unsustainable manoeuvre justified by the need to prevent the return to power of the far right for the first time since the Franco era? Barely. There is a clear danger that it will undermine faith in democracy, increase public distrust, fuel instability and encourage extremists to resort to extra-parliamentary methods."

Le Monde accuses Sánchez of doing “a shameless rewriting of history”

And from London we go to Paris. The center-left French newspaper Le Monde this Friday dedicated a harsh editorial to Sánchez, pointing out in its title the "risky bet" of the Spanish socialist leader: "By making an agreement with a party that he himself denounced as an unreliable partner, the Prime Minister runs the risk of losing whatever political credit he has left." Regarding the amnesty law, the French newspaper states:

"This amnesty law, negotiated in the greatest secrecy, shocked Spanish public opinion even more because, shortly before the legislative elections, Mr. Sánchez had promised not to participate in such a process."

And it adds:

"The agreement gives pride of place to a blatant rewriting of history and to concessions that are unlikely to reconcile the two sides. Its wording leaves little doubt about the fact that it was the separatists who they dictated its main lines, giving the text an appearance of self-amnesty that is hardly compatible with “the defense of the coexistence of Spaniards” claimed by the leader of the PSOE.

By making a pact with a party that has always advocated radicalism and that has been denounced by Sánchez himself as an unreliable partner, the President of the Government runs the risk of losing the political credit he had left >. The chosen tactic is all the more dubious as the agreement gives disproportionate influence to the separatists and every debate on the political future of Catalonia can transform at any moment into a vote of no confidence for the majority."

We'll see how long it takes for the Spanish left to label The Guardian and Le Monde as "extreme right"...

---

Photo: Efe.