In the age of social media and 24-hour news cycles, people expect instant, up-to-date information. However, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez decided to announce a five-day break from his position via email a long, four-page letter. He will use this time to consider whether he will remain at the head of the Spanish government after a corruption investigation was launched against his wife Begoña Gómez.
In doing so, he has triggered a government crisis in which he already has the upper hand and controls both the timing and the agenda of the political debate.
As expected, the announcement dominated the front pages of Spanish newspapers and made headlines in many international media outlets. Once again, Sánchez has made himself the epicenter of public opinion.
His writing is not a love letter and does not strike the melancholic tone of someone who is on the verge of giving up. Although it mentions his love for his wife and seemed genuinely upset during the parliamentary session in which the investigation against his wife came to light, the letter is full of epithets aimed at the far right and other political opponents, all of which were the case and contributed to the current parliamentary dispute.
Spain lives in divided, polarized times. Half the country will most likely view the letter as an act of desperation: Given the writing on the wall, Sánchez chooses to retire rather than be unceremoniously ousted. The other half will talk about the injustices of “lawfare” and how the right-wing media exaggerates itself.
Although Spain is no longer a formal two-party system, there are still two clearly defined poles in society. This division affects society’s ability to interpret political situations as a whole and complicates the issue of trust and support for institutional justice systems.
A master of suspense
Sánchez is a risk-taker, as evidenced by his bold move in 2023 to bring forward national elections by five months. Few can match his ability to create tension and catch his enemies off guard, but his boldness is measured: he’s not one for leaping into the unknown.
A possible explanation for his latest move could be that he knows that the newly opened investigation is based on uncertain or fabricated information, which means he can create a stir, play the victim and mobilize the people around him before he goes on Reappearing triumphant on Monday. The alternative is that he plans to resign and Spain faces the possibility of another round of elections.
In any case, these events will take place right at the start of the Catalan election campaign in May and just 40 days before the European elections in June.
Setting the Agenda: The Media’s Influence on Public Opinion
The influence of the media on voting behavior has been studied for decades. Early on, it was believed that the media directly controlled public opinion, much like a syringe injecting information and ideas under people’s skin.
At that time, people came to believe that the media had little impact on citizens’ voting behavior and opinions because people limited or filtered their own media exposure or consumed media based on pre-existing prejudices.
We now understand that the mass media does not directly dictate the public’s attitudes. Instead, it influences them indirectly by defining the boundaries of public discussion through the prioritization of certain topics. This is called “agenda setting” in communication theory.
By influencing what is relevant and what is not, the media can highlight or silence certain topics, giving them control over public discussions, debates and opinions. They don’t tell people what to think, but by highlighting certain topics and ignoring others, they tell people what to think about.
The media therefore acts as a spotlight: when certain numbers are highlighted, people focus on them and think about them. This theory was developed by Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw, who noted that journalists and editors play an important role in shaping political reality when selecting and presenting news. When consuming media, readers and viewers learn more than just information about a particular topic: they also learn how much attention and priority to give that topic based on the amount of information in a message and how many seconds a video or lines of newsprint are are dedicated to him.
Agenda setting plays a fundamental role in political campaigns. It influences what the public considers important, the ranking of issues, the visibility of key actors and thus their perception of the candidates and the political issues at stake.
Shake things up for the next elections
The mark of a successful political leader is the ability to draw media attention to one’s messages and priorities. It is likely, for example, that Sánchez’s actions, which keep the country (and its institutions) in thrall, will draw attention to the Catalan Socialist Party’s candidate, Salvador Illa, in the upcoming regional election campaign, even though the region’s elections are their own have their own set of unique dynamics. In fact, opinion polls have already shown a sharp increase in Illa’s vote share in recent days.
Likewise, Sánchez’s headline-grabbing break could raise his own profile as president of the Socialist International in the European elections, where the right will hope to make significant gains.
Sánchez was a prominent leader and was heavily attacked by his political opponents. However, these attacks had the unintended effect of placing him at the center of attention, allowing him to set the agenda and direct public debate and perception. For Sánchez, what people say about him is neither here nor there: what is more important is the amount that is said about him.
Campaign managers go to great lengths to keep their candidates front-and-center, and a controversial candidate makes this easy. Spain is currently facing two very important elections in Catalonia and the European Parliament. The impact on both will depend on the candidates’ ability to present and manage the elections as a simple dilemma: “Pedro Sánchez. Yes or no?”
This article was originally published on The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.
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Carmen Beatriz Fernández does not receive a salary, does any consulting work, owns any shares, or receives funding from any company or organization that may benefit from this article and has stated that she has no relevant links beyond those mentioned above academic position.