Iglesias under fire over country house
Pablo Iglesias, head of the left-wing Spanish party Podemos, is under fire for buying a country house that costs over 600,000 euros for his family. The party's grassroots will now vote on whether he and his wife Irene Montero will be allowed to keep their leading posts in the party. Should a man in Iglesias' position own such a property?
A problem of inconsistency
Iglesias' double standards could be his political downfall, writes columnist João Miguel Tavares in Público:
“Half a million members of Podemos will decide the political fate of Iglesias and his partner, Podemos spokeswoman Irene Montero, by Sunday. ... What began as a love story has caused an unprecedented crisis that could cost both deputies their heads. ... But where exactly does the problem lie? I would say that his problem is consistency - or the lack of it - ever since Iglesias sent a tweet in 2012 criticising the former Spanish minister of economic affairs Luis de Guindos for buying an expensive apartment: 'Would you put the economic policy of a country in the hands of someone who spends 600,000 euros on a luxury apartment? How fitting: because this is exactly the sum that Iglesias and Montero plan to pay for their new house.”
How to be a leftie: go vegan and hunch over
The criticism against the Podemos couple prompts columnist Jose A. Pérez Ledo to provide a few ironic tips in eldiario.es:
“Many readers ask us for advice. Am I a good progressive? Is my house small enough for me to get on my moral high horse on Twitter? ... Eating is fundamental for the working class's struggle because if we don't eat we die. But a leftie can't just eat anything. ... Ideally you're a vegan and grow your own food. If your balcony is too small, you're allowed to buy food. ... A leftie defines himself not just by his ideas but also by his ill-fitting clothing. It's easy to find ugly shirts and trousers but you need to make sure they weren't made by someone who earns less than half of what you do. ... Walk slightly bent over. A committed leftie must carry the burden of humanity on his shoulders.”