The historic socialist leader Juan Carlos Rodríguez Ibarra has once again questioned the current leadership of the PSOE. The former president of the Junta of Extremadura believes that the party is going through a moment of weakness and defines it as «a party without substance, without weight, puny and shrunken», compared with the socialism of the 1980s, which he describes as an organization «plumped up, open, and where much of society found a place to sit».
The statements appear in his new book, Sacando Pecho, presented this week in Madrid and published by the publishing house Almuzara. In his political memoirs, Rodríguez Ibarra reviews his 24 years at the helm of the Government of Extremadura and analyzes the current situation of the PSOE, the party in which he continues to be a member.
The former leader calls for an internal debate about the future of the party following the latest regional election results. However, he specifies that his proposal to help give the party new momentum «is not against Sánchez, but against his policy».
The Amnesty Law and Catalan financing, among the errors he points to
Rodríguez Ibarra believes that the PSOE must acknowledge certain decisions that, in his view, were mistaken. Among them he cites the Amnesty Law, the special financing for Catalonia, and support for the law of 'only yes is yes'.
The former Extremaduran president argues that socialists have «the obligation» to admit those errors and ensure that they are not willing to repeat them. He also defends the idea that the party should focus on helping with the country’s recovery and preventing its decisions from responding only to organizational interests.
In this regard, he criticizes the strategy of confrontation pursued by the current socialist leaders. «There are two ways to be involved in politics: training yourself to collaborate or training yourself for confrontation. The current socialist leaders chose the second option,» he says in the book.
He proposes requiring five years of contributions to access an institutional position
In his memoirs, Rodríguez Ibarra also proposes changes to the requirements for carrying out political responsibilities. Specifically, he proposes that no one can access an institutional position without previously proving professional activity and a minimum of five years of contributions to Social Security.
«Anyone who aspires to dedicate part of their life to professional politics must prove that they have known how to earn a living outside of politics,» he argues.
In addition, the historic Socialist leader defends the two-party system against the current multiparty system, considering that it has proved more beneficial for the interests of citizens and for democratic control.
He vindicates the Constitution and proposes reforming the Senate
Rodríguez Ibarra also speaks out on the constitutional framework. Although he vindicates the validity of the 1978 Constitution, he considers that it must be adapted to social and political changes. Among his proposals is to turn the Senate into an «authentic chamber for territorial representation» and to include a specific chapter on virtual society.
The reflections of the former president of Extremadura add to his earlier criticisms of the leadership of the PSOE and of the political strategy of Pedro Sánchez. On this occasion, his positions are set out in Sacando Pecho, a book in which he combines a review of his institutional career with proposals about the future of his party and of the Spanish political system.