Why Spain's PP is the blue PSOE: convergence and press
Seven million voters believe Spain's PP is right-wing, but an analysis of its policies and its friendly press points to a carbon copy of the PSOE.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
When the PP is the blue PSOE: same grey, different colour
Open a major conservative newspaper in Spain and you will find the same pattern as in a pogre one: a compassionate portrait of the immigrant, an article against Trump or Milei, a warning about the far right. Save for the masthead, the piece could have been written by either side. That similarity is no coincidence: it is the basis of the theory that the PP and PSOE are two brands of the same political product.
The single narrative of the partisan press
El Mundo, the newspaper the PP regards as its own, produces exactly the same type of content as El País: the pitiful immigrant, the liberal as a danger, feminism as a headline. In Seville, ABC serves an identical function. Critics also point to the unequal treatment of a Civil Guard officer and a businessman: the former portrayed as an authority figure who lost it; the latter as a private individual who made a mistake. The conclusion is that the press aligned with each party tells the same story; only the logo changes.
The economy, the mirror of convergence
On the essentials, the PP's and PSOE's policies coincide: the same European fiscal rules, the same labour market flexibilisation, the same selective tax cuts. VOX, with its interventionism, would be the green PSOE. Hence the recurring idea of the PP as the blue PSOE.
The figure that unsettles this whole analysis: seven million voters still see the PP as a genuinely right-wing party. That gap between perception and programme explains why alternation in power keeps being sold as a battle when, once you read the fine print, it is just a change of brand.
Open a major conservative newspaper in Spain and you will find the same pattern as in a pogre one: a compassionate portrait of the immigrant, an article against Trump or Milei, a warning about the far right. Save for the masthead, the piece could have been written by either side. That similarity is no coincidence: it is the basis of the theory that the PP and PSOE are two brands of the same political product.
The single narrative of the partisan press
El Mundo, the newspaper the PP regards as its own, produces exactly the same type of content as El País: the pitiful immigrant, the liberal as a danger, feminism as a headline. In Seville, ABC serves an identical function. Critics also point to the unequal treatment of a Civil Guard officer and a businessman: the former portrayed as an authority figure who lost it; the latter as a private individual who made a mistake. The conclusion is that the press aligned with each party tells the same story; only the logo changes.
The economy, the mirror of convergence
On the essentials, the PP's and PSOE's policies coincide: the same European fiscal rules, the same labour market flexibilisation, the same selective tax cuts. VOX, with its interventionism, would be the green PSOE. Hence the recurring idea of the PP as the blue PSOE.
The figure that unsettles this whole analysis: seven million voters still see the PP as a genuinely right-wing party. That gap between perception and programme explains why alternation in power keeps being sold as a battle when, once you read the fine print, it is just a change of brand.
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (9 replies).
More summaries
-
Audio Reveals Political Pressure on Civil Guard Against Ayuso
Recording shows a Civil Guard lieutenant general pressuring to boycott Ayuso's events, leading to insults and dismissal.
-
Soria mayor in Spain investigated for money laundering and organised crime
Spain's Guardia Civil is investigating the mayor of Soria (PSOE) over alleged money laundering and criminal organisation. Raids and front men in an operation that shakes…
-
The left claims this is a coup by reactionaries via judges and the Civil Guard, all lies
An analysis of the debate on political polarization in Spain, the legitimacy of institutions and the questioning of judicial neutrality. Join the discussion.
-
Italian youth's anti-migrant rant goes viral amid work permit row
A video of a young Italian railing against migrants lands as debate rages over the 500,000 work permits Meloni reportedly plans to issue by 2028.
-
Spain's Transport Minister Resigns Despite Listed for Election
Óscar Puente resigns after the Urda rail accident, but remains on the PSOE ballot for Valladolid published in the BOE, facing a secrets disclosure complaint.
-
Rail accident sparks debate on AI and sensor rollout in Spain
A rail accident triggers a debate on implementing AI and sensors across the Spanish network, with views split between modernization needs and suspicions of a lucrative business opportunity.