Spain's PM Sánchez blames algorithms for society's rightward shift

In an interview on La Revuelta, Pedro Sánchez argues that algorithms steer the political conversation and that technology is not neutral. The debate over platform power and its electoral impact is back on the agenda.

## Sánchez points to algorithms on La Revuelta

Spanish Prime Minister **Pedro Sánchez** said on the TV show **La Revuelta** that algorithms are responsible for steering the political conversation. "They are the ones directing your conversation," he said, adding that "we have been very naive in thinking that technology is neutral." The remarks came during a televised interview, not an official statement.

The claim has economic weight. Digital platforms run recommendation models that prioritize content with the highest retention power, and that design is not neutral: it rewards whatever generates engagement. Whether this favors some political options over others has been debated for years in academic literature and among European regulators.

## The regulatory context for platforms

The European Union approved the Digital Services Act, in force since **2024**, which requires major platforms to audit their recommendation systems and offer non-personalized alternatives. Spain has no direct authority over those algorithms, but it can push the political pressure into the EU debate.

A prime minister blaming algorithms for the rise of the right is new in tone. It is not a legal accusation or a concrete proposal. It is a political thesis: technology is not a neutral mirror of society, but an actor that shapes what people see.

## What can and cannot be measured

There is no public calculation attributing a party's vote to an algorithm. Studies on content exposure and voting behavior measure correlations, not causation. Sánchez's claim is a political interpretation, not a proven fact.

That does not invalidate it as a position, but the diagnosis should not be confused with the evidence. The debate over platform power is legitimate and has real regulatory consequences. Attributing an election result to an algorithm, however, remains an open hypothesis.