In the context of Spain’s fast-approaching elections on the 23rd of July, a recently released documentary titled The Autocrat has attracted some controversy.
It describes a few of the ways in which Spain’s incumbent Socialist PM, Pedro Sánchez, has concentrated power in his office and violated electoral promises.
After complaining that the ministry of culture was attempting to suppress the film and exerting undue influence on cinemas not to screen it, the documentary’s director, Carlos Hernando, has chosen to make it free to host, download, and reproduce.
What makes The Autocrat particularly interesting, and potentially useful vis the general elections, is that it features several prominent former Socialist party members, including ex-ministers and party spokespersons.
It is worth reproducing some of these:
- “He uses the official state bulletin for his own political messaging, not to advance the interests of citizens”—J.A. Ruiz Castillo, former Socialist party representative for Madrid.
- “He has repeatedly ignored his electoral promises”—Cristina Alberdi, former Socialist party minister for social issues refers to, among other things, the promise not to enter into a coalition with Podemos or philo-terrorist separatist parties.
- “What is autocracy? It is an authoritarian form of government. And that’s what’s been being imposed on Spain over the past few years [under Sanchez]”—Cesar Antonio Molina, former Socialist party minister of culture.
- “Sanchismo [Sánchez’s style of governing] is about staying in power at any price … more than half of Spain’s media outlets have adopted a submissive position with respect to Sánchez”—Jesus Cuadrado, former Socialist party defence spokesperson.
Cuadrado adds,
Four countries have overtaken Spain economically in the past five years, and the direction in which things are going would suggest more countries, like Portugal and Poland, will do so … the economic inheritance from Sánchez’s government will take a long time to overcome.
By expressing their disapproval of what they describe as the PM’s break with the basic consensus of Spanish democracy on camera, these former politicians serve to highlight a break in Spain’s centre-Left, which might encourage voters on that side of the ideological aisle to abstain or switch their vote.
