Spanish political polarization reaches the international crisis in Iran and the Middle East

Eduardo González The People's Party (PP) has harshly criticized the government's rejection of the US and Israeli military operation against Iran, a country that "stones women and hangs homosexuals." In its response, the government accused the main opposition party of trying to "gain political advantage even in extremely serious situations like this" and of longing for "the Aznar government of war." "Seeing what Spain is doing regarding what is happening in the world, with the conflict in Iran, it is very important that everyone knows where we stand," the PP's spokesperson in Congress, Ester Muñoz, told the media on Tuesday. "We have all seen how the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, has been congratulated by a regime that stones women and hangs homosexuals," she added. This Monday, the president of the People's Party (PP), Alberto Núñez Feijóo, issued a statement, disseminated through social media, in which he affirmed that the fall of “a regime of repression and constant threat” like that of Iran, in which “millions of citizens have suffered persecution, imprisonment, and death for defending basic freedoms,” especially “Iranian women,” is “good news for freedom and democracy.” In Feijóo's opinion, “Spain must stand unequivocally alongside liberal democracies.” “Something is wrong when Hamas, the Houthis, and the Iranian regime applaud the government. That is not defending Spain's interests, but rather putting them at risk,” he denounced. Separately, Feijóo released another message on Tuesday commemorating the thirtieth anniversary of the first electoral victory of José María Aznar, of the PP, who served as Prime Minister from 1996 to 2004. “Thirty years ago, President Aznar led a victory that changed the course of our country. A reformist project that transformed Spain into a power, boosted the economy, strengthened our international credibility, and demonstrated that we could aspire to more,” he wrote. In response to these criticisms, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares declared this Tuesday at the press conference following the Council of Ministers meeting that “Spain has a consistent foreign policy and position” and always says “exactly the same thing, based on the same principles and with the same objectives, which is to defend peace, global stability, international law, and the principles of the UN Charter. We say this in Ukraine, we say it in Gaza, we say it in Venezuela, in Greenland, and in Iran. Therefore, I believe these comments are self-discrediting,” he added. For her part, Government Spokesperson Elma Saiz declared at the same press conference that “neither the Government nor Spanish society as a whole supports the repressive regime in Iran, but violence should not be met with more violence because it only leads to an escalation of suffering and repression.” “To confuse respect for international law with supposed support for the regime we have publicly condemned is, quite simply, an attempt to gain political advantage even in extremely serious situations like this,” she denounced. Likewise, the Second Vice President of the Government, Yolanda Díaz, asserted that “what Mr. Feijóo misses today is Aznar’s wartime government.” “The Government of Spain is doing the exact opposite; it is being the government that provides security, peace, democracy, human rights, and dignity in the world, and I know very well what I am talking about because we are receiving praise from all over the world,” she continued. “Therefore, the Government of Spain is doing what it has to do, and Mr. Feijóo is clumsily reminding us today, I believe, of that image of the worst government in history, that of Mr. Aznar,” a government that “was a staunch defender of war,” she added.

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