A plan to control?

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez - AFP/DENIS BALIBOUSE

Antonia Cortés

05 de julio de 2024 (06:00 h.)

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Spain

If I say that concern has settled in Pedro Sánchez's house, I don't think I'm giving any news, as it is normal, just as it would settle in those families in which one (or more) of its members is entangled in legal matters and has to testify before a judge. And I imagine, moreover, that the recent information given by the newspaper El Mundo on the report by the Intervention of the Complutense University, which highlights that his wife "irregularly arranged" the services of a company, does not help to calm things down either. Legal, illegal, criminal, ethical, moral, amoral... time will tell what becomes of this story of alleged favours, alleged influence and alleged appropriations.

Never has the direction of a master's degree given so much to talk about, at least as far as I know. The fact is that, against the backdrop of this scenario, with his wife's statement before the judge on 5 July when she was investigated for influence peddling, the president announced at the beginning of the week on SER, a medium that gives him more confidence, that he is going to modify the law that regulates institutional advertising, that is, the money that the state allocates to the media for its campaigns or advertisements. Money that, by the way, belongs to all citizens. And it seems that there are already too many media outlets, especially digital ones, that do not deserve to receive this official funding because they are dedicated to spreading false news and hoaxes. The aim, according to the president, is to guarantee the independence of the media. What a detail! To me, personally, it sounds a bit like economic blackmail, like turning off the tap so that no water comes out and the thirsty become exhausted.

With this measure, which is included in what he calls "democratic regeneration", Sánchez stressed in the radio interview that "it is not tolerable that public funds should be used to finance ultra-right-wing hoaxes". Will he also give the list of pseudo-media, as he calls them? Who will decide what? Who will label them as good and bad? Will each piece of news be analysed before or after it comes out? Something doesn't sound quite right.

The announced "plan for regeneration and democratic quality" will include other measures, some of which, as he has already said, refer to the right to honour and the right to rectification. And I wonder, if the hoaxes and falsehoods that are spread in the media are so worrying, because it is logical that they are worrying not only the president, but everyone, will sanctions or other measures also be applied to the lies that citizens hear from politicians? Does the punishment of liars form part of this democratic regeneration plan? Because as they say in Galicia: habelas hailas.

President Sánchez, in the SER interview, also gave a date: 17 July. On that day, in the plenary session of Congress, he will tell us all the ideas he has for a better, freer and more transparent country. Press associations have already shown their interest in taking part in this debate to which they have not yet been invited. We shall see whether, come the day of the elections, our doubts will be dispelled or, on the contrary, new uncertainties will arise. For the time being, we must wait.