Soto Ivars attacks the Spanish social democrats' 'fiscal Gestapo'

Journalist Juan Soto Ivars attacks Spanish social democracy, accusing it of applauding a Tax Agency that acts as a 'fiscal Gestapo' and confusing public spending with an end in itself.

Journalist and writer Juan Soto Ivars has launched a harsh critique against the self-proclaimed Spanish social democrats. In an appearance on the programme Por fin, Soto Ivars stated that they "applaud the Tax Agency being sadistic and malicious and operating as a fiscal Gestapo." This assertion has sparked intense debate on social media and among political analysts.

A social democracy of mere words

Soto Ivars, known for his incisive opinions, did not hold back in defining what he considers a false social democracy in Spain. "Spanish social democrats merely applaud high spending, as if public expenditure were inherently good and not a problem," he pointed out. For the journalist, social democracy is "a brilliant invention," but he warned that "many abuses can be committed in its name."

Among those abuses, he mentioned "nepotism in hiring a lot of people who do nothing, keeping another bunch of people who contribute nothing, and using public health and education as hostages to label as enemies of social democracy those who criticise those who are ruining it." A direct critique of the management of public resources and the lack of accountability.

The true social democrat according to Soto Ivars

For Soto Ivars, in Spain, "there are very few true social democrats." In his view, a genuine social democrat "would demand that public resources be used to keep any public official who wastes or misappropriates a euro in jail." In contrast, those who proclaim themselves as such "merely say that paying taxes is good, as if that were the most important thing."

The journalist advocates for a state "as small as possible, without wasting money on duplications and absurd positions." He also calls for a Tax Agency "clear for the taxpayer" and a taxation system "understandable by all." "They would demand a Tax Agency that treats the taxpayer humanely and helps them resolve the messes they occasionally get into for lack of information," he stated. However, he lamented that "Spanish social democrats applaud it operating as a fiscal Gestapo."

Soto Ivars' critique focuses on the relationship between the taxpayer and the Tax Agency, a recurring theme in public debate. The comparison to the Gestapo, the secret police of Nazi Germany, is not casual and aims to provoke a reaction regarding the treatment citizens receive from the tax administration.

For readers interested in taxation and politics, this intervention serves as a wake-up call about the need to rethink the Tax Agency model and the management of public spending. The controversy is set, and, as often happens with Soto Ivars, it leaves no one indifferent. It will be worth closely following whether his words generate any reaction from political parties or the Tax Agency itself.