PSOE
PSOE (Partido Socialista Obrero Español) is the oldest political party in operating Spain to this day. It’s founder, Pablo Iglesias Posse, was part of the Spanish Socialist Workers Party. He also helped found the Spanish General Workers Union (UGT), a trade union group that was closely associated with the Spanish Socialist Workers Party. Posse was a very determined political activist.. Working with twenty-five other like minded intellectuals and politician, Posse founded the PSOE on May 2, 1879. PSOE was among, if not, the first socialist/workers rights oriented political party, working towards protecting industrial revolution workers rights. Among the many problems of his day, he worked hard to make eight hour work days mandatory, giving them a proper Marxist ideology. After the Spanish Civil War, Francisco Franco’s Nationalist regime dissolved their party, exhiling and even killing members of the socialist party. After Franco’s death, the Transition saw Felipe Gonzalez elected Secretary General in 1977, who moved the parties Marxist ideologies towards a more social-democratic one. The party received large amounts of public support during the transition, as well as PCE (El Partido Comunista de España). They had some resentment for communist parties considering their split at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War and Franco’s reign. Regardless, PSOE motivated many young politicians to join their cause. As a party, they initially made workers rights their main issue, but they moved towards social-democracy after Franco’s death. A multicultural Spain is respected within the party. They understand the views of the Basque, Catalans, and Castilians are different and should all be treated with cultural sensitivity. With this in mind, they spearheaded the decentralization process of installing autonomous governments. PSOE also stifled the isolationist view previously instated, pushing Spain on the World stage, as a participating member of Europe.
PSOE on Gender Equality and Labor Rights
PSOE is a center left political party that has been around for 140 years. Today they focus on many issues including feminism and workers’ rights. PSOE believes in a “Cultural of Equality” and have shed a light on feminism. Their main focus is to put feminism on the main political agenda. In a recent conference held in the Senate, Carmen Calvo stated that “machismo is incompatible with democracy.” Pedro Sánchez, secretary general of PSOE, is an activist for feminism and has sought to give 65 percent of his cabinet positions to women. He has made feminism his main theme in his campaign. “We must take advantage of the fact that feminism is on the political agenda with the respect and seriousness it deserves.” (Calvo). Another issue they have been pushing for is workers’ rights. Workers’ rights were the issue that created this political party. They have introduced a degree to protect low salaries and poverties that affect workers who suffer abuse. This decree proposes that all companies, big and small, have to keep records of the workers’ shifts of each day. “We are the ones who are going to raise the SMI, revalue pensions, and repeal the gag law and labor reform.” (Adriana Lastra, Deputy Secretary General of PSOE). Their agenda is drawing up a new Workers’ Statue, reduce the types of employment, increase pay and is also proposing a new unemployment protection plan for people unemployed aged over 45. PSOE has been in support of the working class since their birth.
Works Cited:
https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/05/13/inenglish/1557739540_969503.html
https://www.equaltimes.org/what-are-political-parties?lang=en#.XPfswdMzbjB
https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/05/13/inenglish/1557739540_969503.html
https://www.psoe.es/actualidad/noticias-actualidad/el-feminismo-debe-pasar-a-la-accion/
https://www.psoe.es/conocenos/historia/
Radcliff, Pamela Beth. Modern Spain : 1808 to the Present. Wiley Blackwell, 2017.
Authors: Samantha Compton & Trevor Allum