Sánchez aligns Feijóo and Abascal with Trump, Milei and Le Pen in the "scissor club"

Pedro Sánchez has aligned Spanish opposition leaders Alberto Núñez Feijóo and Santiago Abascal with international right-wing figures such as Donald Trump, Javier Milei, and Marine Le Pen, warning voters ahead of the November 29 general election. Speaking at a Socialist Party rally in Granada on Saturday, the Prime Minister described the political alternatives facing Spain as a choice between solidarity and selfishness, social justice and cuts, and love versus hate. He characterized the programs of the Popular Party (PP) and Vox as belonging to the same "club of chainsaws, scissors, and cuts," a metaphor he used to criticize their proposed reductions in pensions, minimum wage, abortion rights, euthanasia, public health, education, and social housing. The rally took place in the Federico García Lorca hall of the Granada Congress Palace, attended by singer Miguel Ríos and Andalusian socialist leader María Jesús Montero. Sánchez leveraged the recent visits of Argentine President Javier Milei and French politician Jordan Bardella, along with recent criticisms from US President Donald Trump regarding Spanish migration policy, to frame the upcoming vote as a defense against global reactionary trends. He stated that while these foreign leaders have visited Spain, the domestic counterparts share their ideological approach. "What we do not want for the world, we do not want for our country," Sánchez declared. He argued that Spain serves as proof that hope is more efficient than the hatred expanded by the opposition. In a pointed critique of Feijóo, Sánchez suggested that the PP leader’s project suffers from either incompetence or sectarian dogmatism. He warned that Feijóo is "treading many puddles" during the campaign and is perhaps separated from modern Spain by an ocean. The Prime Minister employed a specific analogy to describe the relationship between the two main opposition parties: "Feijóo is the wrapping paper, but Abascal is the gift. And there are gifts that are not worth opening." This comment underscored his view that the true agenda behind the coalition lies with Vox. Sánchez made several concrete promises regarding legislative priorities should his party win the election. He pledged to entrench the right to abortion in the Spanish Constitution, stating that this right "will not be touched." He referenced women's protests on March 8, noting they serve as a reminder to former PP leaders José Ignacio Wert and Mariano Rajoy that attempts to restrict reproductive rights will face resistance. Additionally, he vowed to maintain the law allowing euthanasia as a societal advancement and to raise the interprofessional minimum wage annually while he remains in office, regardless of agreement with business associations. The Prime Minister also addressed the issue of voting rights for descendants of Republican exiles. He criticized the PP and Vox for questioning postal voting and defending the suspension of electoral rights for approximately 160,000 grandchildren of the exile, a decision agreed upon by the Supreme Court, while noting that grandchildren of the Franco regime can still vote. In response, he urged progressive voters to cast ballots with even greater force on behalf of those who might be disenfranchised. During the speech, Sánchez incorporated a literary element tied to the venue's namesake. He revealed that the previous day, he received a message from Hispanist Ian Gibson encouraging him to include the poet Federico García Lorca in his discourse, marking the 90th anniversary of Lorca's assassination and referencing the recent film La bola negra by the Javis brothers. Putting on reading glasses, Sánchez recited a poem titled Cantos nuevos. He joked about the physical changes of aging, admitting that he previously requested speeches formatted in Arial 18 font but now requires Arial 24 due to the "consequences of life." This political maneuvering occurs amidst a broader media landscape dominated by digital influencers. While distinct from the political rally, recent coverage highlights the growing influence of content creator Jordi Wild, whose podcast The Wild Project has secured interviews with all four major Spanish political candidates: Sánchez, Feijóo, Abascal, and Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau. These conversations, recorded in Wild’s apartment in Manresa, are scheduled for release on November 13, coinciding with the start of the official electoral campaign. Each interview will last less than 90 minutes. Wild, a psychology graduate who started with 250,000 subscribers in 2020, now commands eight million subscribers on his channel and over 30 million followers across social platforms. His audience is predominantly male, with statistics suggesting an 80 percent to 20 percent gender split. Unlike traditional media, which failed to secure similar multi-candidate formats in 2023, Wild has achieved a milestone by aggregating these high-profile figures in a single platform. The political narrative presented by Sánchez contrasts sharply with the digital strategy employed by Wild. While the Prime Minister frames the election as a binary choice between progress and regression, the inclusion of all major candidates in Wild’s upcoming releases suggests a neutral platform for direct voter engagement. The timing of the podcast releases, just days before the vote, positions them as a potential factor in the final phase of the campaign. Sánchez’s rhetoric in Granada focused heavily on historical continuity and social gains, specifically citing increases in wages and pensions under his administration, which he attributed to the efforts of the left. He dismissed the opposition's proposals as an "involution" rather than an alternative, arguing that they seek to return Spain to a state fifty years in the past. The presence of cultural figures at the rally reinforced the symbolic weight of the event. Miguel Ríos, a veteran Spanish singer, stood alongside Sánchez, adding a layer of national cultural endorsement to the political message. The reference to Lorca served both as a local tribute and a political statement, linking the current government's stance on memory and rights to the legacy of one of Spain's most famous poets. Sánchez emphasized that the "Spain of Lorca does not erase its memory," using the poet's work to anchor his vision of a society that preserves its democratic achievements. As the campaign intensifies, the focus shifts from these initial rallies to the mass distribution of content through both traditional broadcast channels and digital platforms. The convergence of political messaging and influencer-driven media represents a shift in how Spanish citizens receive information about the candidates. While Sánchez uses formal rallies to outline policy stances and draw distinctions between allies and adversaries, digital creators like Wild offer extended, informal dialogues that bypass traditional journalistic filters. The publication of these podcasts on November 13 will likely generate significant discussion in the run-up to the November 29 elections, providing voters with unedited access to the key figures in the race. The outcome of the election will determine whether the policies outlined by Sánchez, including constitutional changes regarding abortion and wage adjustments, move forward, or if the opposing platforms of Feijóo and Abascal gain traction despite the Prime Minister's characterization of their agendas.