Sánchez railed against neoliberal discourse at Davos and demanded that companies help defend democracy. economy

The great ideological battle that marks this super election year, with 74 elections around the world, can be summarized in two consecutive interventions at the Davos summit. On the one hand, there is Argentina’s Javier Miley, who even said that the world is on the road to socialism, market failures do not exist and the only cancer of the economy is the state, regulation and taxes. , And, on the other hand, the Spanish Pedro Sánchez, who said exactly the opposite in a speech designed to generate influence in Davos, where some businessmen, fearing the president, may be tempted to give in to Miley and others like Donald Trump. Current of extremists, who harshly attack the ideas of redistribution, social justice, and taxes.

Sánchez condemned neoliberal ideology and affirmed social democracy. But, above all, he demanded that those businessmen who might be attracted by speeches like Miley’s remember their social responsibility and join the defense of democracy with the aim of stopping the ultra wave that threatens the world. Especially this year, when there will be 74 different elections across the planet, including in the United States and Europe. In a room full of executives, where some of the Ibex 35 were in the front row, Sanchez was very candid when addressing the companies. “Help us increase the purchasing power of workers, stop the climate emergency, uphold international standards, and defend democracy and fight against the onslaught of the reactionary wave sweeping the world. In short: Help us give people a better life,” he asked them.

“Let us not swallow the old neoliberal theories that present the state as a purely extractive entity that does not generate value. Or those who claim that the sole responsibility of companies is to increase profits for their shareholders. These ideas have been proven wrong by science and experience. You know it. You know that companies need governments to innovate and grow. And if companies do not work together, if they do not align their interests with the interests of society as a whole, we will not be able to overcome the great challenges of our time. And it will have an impact on your companies,” Sanchez told businesspeople, right in Davos, which for a week becomes the epicenter of capitalism where the most important companies on the planet come together. This is in stark contrast to what Miley, who encouraged businessmen not to be ashamed of getting rich, called them “heroes” and called them “against the caste of politics”, against “international organizations dominated by neo-Marxists”. Invited to lead the fight. ideas” and against the states.

In contrast, Sánchez invited cooperation between states and companies and called not on being carried away by neoliberal ideas that see them as enemies. “Don’t let yourself be dragged down by radical media and political parties that are obsessed with portraying us as systemic rivals. They make profits by selling polarization. Don’t fall into their trap. Let’s cooperate. Let’s take advantage of building bridges, enhancing coordination, and establishing new forms of public-private collaboration. The Spanish government is your ally. We must work together to build new prosperity. A new virtuous triangle formed by the private sector, the state and civil society that guarantees us economic prosperity, increases well-being and equality and ensures environmental sustainability for all and around the world,” he said.

He added, “Spain is a haven for companies that want to get rich by creating real value and paying taxes accordingly.” But, above all, he discussed the idea of ​​the invisible hand of the market, exactly what Miley claimed, going so far as to say that “market failure does not exist.”

“Today, Spaniards know that neoliberal policies do not work. The alternative to reducing the size of the public sector and leaving citizens and small businesses alone when problems arise does not make sense. And, when we collaborate and are together, we are stronger,” Sánchez stressed, concluding with a clear defense of workers, also in the face of the dangers of artificial intelligence, which according to the president needs to be controlled. Should: “Those of us who have learned not to trust the invisible hand of the market can no longer blindly trust the invisible hand of artificial intelligence. Invisibility is usually sought to do evil, not good. I trust only the hands of flesh and blood: those who lift the curtain of business every morning, who put away books at school, who cook dinner for their families at night or cast votes at the ballot box. I care about those hands, real and visible.”

“We must pay more attention to the concerns of our workers, our youth, and our elders, and less to the empty promises of a few Silicon Valley gurus who are more interested in gaining followers or climbing the Forbes millionaires list than in making real progress. More interested in humanity,” he launched. Sanchez emphasizes that he is a defender of innovation, not someone who rejects new technologies, and in fact these days he has Has met with some top managers, some of whom are headquartered in Silicon Valley, to explore investments in Spain. But he believes that artificial intelligence should be controlled so that it does not harm the interests of workers. , do not destroy democracy and fake news,

Sanchez leaves Davos after two days after dozens of meetings with top-level businessmen, in which no one asked him about Carles Puigdemont or the apology. He has not done this even in two interviews given to CNBC and Bloomberg. Davos serves precisely as a contrast, seeing as much of what organizes Spanish politics barely concerns international officials, beyond an interest in the stability of Sánchez’s executive. The president, who is no longer a newcomer, on the contrary, is beginning to become one of the experienced leaders of Davos – this is his sixth year – he has already shown to senior officials that he is a leader who can last for the next four years. Are, and that’s how they get it. And the leader of the PSOE plays both sides. In private, he is an outspoken business advocate who talks to businessmen about what interests them: regulatory stability, tax features, predictability, major reforms. And in public, he focuses on social democratic political discourse and reminds them that if they want to maintain their profits and wealth, they have to make it sustainable with fair distribution, paying more taxes. And one has to stay away from the temptations of Miley and others. Ultrasound Sanchez is already a Davos man, who has managed to almost completely include the leaders of the Ibex 35 in his appointments in this delightful city in the Swiss Alps and avoid reading a book about the taxes he likes. Are not.

Both the President and his team are leaving Davos with a feeling of success and, above all, with a very important message: there are no great fears about stability in Spain and everything indicates that Sánchez will be looking for new investments in the next The years will come back. A member of the government summarized, “Our position in what is going on in the world, whether we lose the vote or not, is very little, and it is very noticeable here, no one is concerned about it ” “The authorities are on to something else, Spain is not worried, we are not that important and nothing really disturbing is happening to the economic world,” one Ibex 35 executive present in Davos summarized. Sánchez returned to the national political battle with a feeling that his international image was becoming increasingly strong. But there are no guarantees in Spain if internal negotiations go awry.

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