Spanish government spends 15 million in public money on political clothing brand
Spain's government has earmarked 15 million for DMOCRACIA, a clothing brand promoted by influencer Marina Rivers. Efficient spending or propaganda?
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
DMOCRACIA: when the clothing brand is paid for by your tax bill
Pedro Sánchez's government has spent 15 million euros creating an urban clothing brand called DMOCRACIA, as part of the Plan de Acción por la Democracia (Democracy Action Plan) and the "España en Libertad. 50 años" (Spain in Freedom. 50 Years) campaign. The initiative, which has hired influencer Marina Rivers as its promoter, aims to connect with young people through hoodies and T-shirts bearing a message of democratic values. But the cost and execution have peine the debate over the partisan use of public resources.
A 15-million-euro tracksuit: spending or investment?
According to official documents, the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, headed by Ángel Víctor Torres, has launched DMOCRACIA as a project of "urban-style clothing" to spread democratic values among the younger generations. The budget covers design, production, marketing and the influencer's fee, which runs into the millions. However, the absence of data on manufacturing and suppliers has fuelled suspicion. As pointed out in the analyses circulating, the opacity of the contracting process and the choice of a name that evokes famous brands (Democracy Clothing) raise doubts about the efficiency of the spending.
The sarracena shield strategy
The mechanism is familiar: the initiative is wrapped in unimpeachable concepts —democracy, freedom, values— so that any criticism seems like an attack on the very idea. As seen in previous cases, this rhetorical trap diverts attention: anyone who questions the waste is branded anti-democratic. The irony, however, is that the name itself, DMOCRACIA, has been registered by a third party after the announcement, as has emerged on social media, adding another chapter of questionable management.
The debate leaves two camps: those who see a legitimate youth awareness campaign and those who consider it misappropriation in disguise. The fact is that, as of this discussion, neither the brand's website nor official information specifies the number of garments produced or the distribution plan. The question left hanging: how many T-shirts does it take to justify 15 million?
Pedro Sánchez's government has spent 15 million euros creating an urban clothing brand called DMOCRACIA, as part of the Plan de Acción por la Democracia (Democracy Action Plan) and the "España en Libertad. 50 años" (Spain in Freedom. 50 Years) campaign. The initiative, which has hired influencer Marina Rivers as its promoter, aims to connect with young people through hoodies and T-shirts bearing a message of democratic values. But the cost and execution have peine the debate over the partisan use of public resources.
A 15-million-euro tracksuit: spending or investment?
According to official documents, the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, headed by Ángel Víctor Torres, has launched DMOCRACIA as a project of "urban-style clothing" to spread democratic values among the younger generations. The budget covers design, production, marketing and the influencer's fee, which runs into the millions. However, the absence of data on manufacturing and suppliers has fuelled suspicion. As pointed out in the analyses circulating, the opacity of the contracting process and the choice of a name that evokes famous brands (Democracy Clothing) raise doubts about the efficiency of the spending.
The sarracena shield strategy
The mechanism is familiar: the initiative is wrapped in unimpeachable concepts —democracy, freedom, values— so that any criticism seems like an attack on the very idea. As seen in previous cases, this rhetorical trap diverts attention: anyone who questions the waste is branded anti-democratic. The irony, however, is that the name itself, DMOCRACIA, has been registered by a third party after the announcement, as has emerged on social media, adding another chapter of questionable management.
The debate leaves two camps: those who see a legitimate youth awareness campaign and those who consider it misappropriation in disguise. The fact is that, as of this discussion, neither the brand's website nor official information specifies the number of garments produced or the distribution plan. The question left hanging: how many T-shirts does it take to justify 15 million?
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (71 replies).
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