Spain: abuse allegations against leftwing politician
Íñigo Errejón, parliamentary spokesman for the left-wing governing alliance Sumar and previously an influential figure in Podemos, announced his resignation on Thursday, shortly after he was anonymously accused of sexual violence in the press. The allegations include "psychological abuse" and "degrading" sexual practices. According to the national press Errejón is not the only one who has been discredited by this scandal.
Preacher of inquisitorial ultra-feminism
The conservative daily ABC gleefully takes the politician apart:
“Íñigo Errejón, Sumar's parliamentary spokesman until his sudden resignation after his true sexual nature was exposed, stands for hypocrisy taken to the highest level. ... The preacher of inquisitorial ultra-feminism, the standard-bearer of 'Only yes is yes' and 'Sister, I believe you', was a blatant sexist in his private life, lacking even a minimum of respect for women and delighting in abusing his powers of attraction. ... No sign of 'heteropatriarchy', 'liberalism' or any other pseudo-progressive nonsense here. Errejón proved to be a textbook lecher, incapable of controlling his impulses.”
Another blow to democracy's credibility
The right is having a feast with this scandal, notes El Periódico de Catalunya:
“Errejón falls and those who once wanted to storm heaven are at each other's throats in hell. Errejón has fallen and the government, with PSOE at its helm, senses that the straw is about to break the camel's back. Progressive voters look on stunned and concerned, while the right shamelessly takes the moral high ground. ... More and more people are turning away from politics and democracy is losing credibility and value. The messages of far-right populism are increasingly striking a cord with young people. With its anti-feminist stance it will weaponise the Errejón affair, ignoring the fact that without the force of feminism it would never have come to light.”