The President of the Government and Secretary General of the PSOE, Pedro Sanchezlaunched this Thursday a letter to party memberson the occasion of the 145th anniversary of its foundation, in which it presents the PSOE as “the systemic party” of Spanish democracy, remembers that “no generation of socialists had it easy” and calls for working in unity for a ” clean politics.
In his letter, Sánchez recalls that the 25 founders of the PSOEwith Pablo Iglesias at the helm, had the courage to meet, “in full prohibition of meetings and political association of workers” in a Casa Labra, an “inn” located “precisely a few meters from the then Ministry of the Interior.”
«They were so visionary as to create a party that, almost a century and a half later, continues to lead the expansion of rights and freedoms, progress and social justice. The courage and lucidity of those colleagues are values that today continue to inspire the political action of the women and men of the PSOE of the present,” emphasizes the president.
In this context, he emphasizes that «no generation of socialists had it easy» because theirs is “a struggle that is structurally asymmetrical” and they always choose to take “the side of those who do not have” or “cannot.”
«We choose the side of the common people against the powerful; not once, but always. And, despite this, if we have been able to improve people’s lives and change the history of Spain It is because, in these 145 years, we have each other,” Sánchez asserts, emphasizing that “when things get difficult” the “most valuable” and the “main asset” of the party is “the solidarity of the companions.”
“That is why we socialists, who defend diversity and plurality as inalienable values, in difficult times unite even more strongly if possible,” he points out, before thanking the support that “thousands of socialists and progressives” have given him during the last few days.
«There are debts that, although we will never be able to pay, we must recognize. And I, as your general secretary, have an immense debt of gratitude to all those people, to all of you. I have felt the personal affection, the concern for my family and for meYo. It is precisely this concern for people that is the ultimate driving force of our political cause,” he explains.
After indicating that “socialism is humanism,” Sánchez says he is aware that it is not support for himself that “unites” the militants, but rather “support for a cause,” that of freedom and democracy.
“Millions of people They have understood that what is at stake – and not only in Spain – is democracy as a form of coexistence in freedom. Our democracy, like those of the rest of the world, faces the advance of a far-right international that tries to impose its regressive agenda. Not through the debate of ideas and the contrast of proposals, but through the destruction of the adversary,” he reiterates.
At this point, he once again explains the operation of the so-called «mud machine«. A strategy, in his opinion, “encouraged by the right and the far-right, together with far-right websites and associations that create hoaxes and lies.” “Hoaxes that are then spread in gatherings and on the platforms to later prosecute false complaints, seriously deteriorating our democracy and our coexistence,” he warns.
Sánchez adds that in these days it has become clear that «Defending democracy does not only consist of going to vote every four years“, but we must defend it “every day, rejecting those who turn politics into a quagmire of insults and falsehoods.”
«Today, on the 145th anniversary of our organization, let us reclaim the clean politics. The politics of respect and dignity; that of the debate of ideas based on facts and not on hoaxes,” emphasizes the President of the Government.
In his opinion, the “thousands” of people who gathered last Saturday at the gates of Ferrazand the “hundreds of thousands” who showed their support in letters, through networks and people’s homes throughout Spain, have sent “a powerful message of courage and lucidity to our society: that we are not willing to attend impassively to the deterioration and degradation of our democracy.
«They have also sent another message: The PSOE is the systemic party of democracy and the Spanish Constitution. The stronger the democracy, the stronger the PSOE and the greater its transformative capacity,” emphasizes Sánchez, who points out as the task of the current “generation” of socialists “to contribute to the strengthening” of democracy.
«In the last week we have seen how many people have mobilized in favor of the cause of democracy. That is the cause that has united them and that predicts a long life for the PSOE. Happy anniversary, PSOE! » concludes the letter.
