Carlos Alsina dissects with Susanna Griso his opinion on Santos Cerdán's book: "He is a bit politically overrated"

Journalist Carlos Alsina and presenter Susanna Griso have commented on the publication of the book by former socialist leader Santos Cerdán, focusing their analysis on the content and political interpretation of his account.

Alsina defended that the work can be understood as a mix of memoir and fiction, close to autofiction, in which the author reconstructs his role in different political stages with a very personal vision of the facts. “In other words, the genre is novel, fiction. Let's see, I think it's this thing that's popular now, which is autofiction, right? Which is, I tell you my life, but in such a way that the way I tell it seems a bit novelistic or fictional, and above all, I introduce or highlight or eliminate passages depending on how the story I want to tell you turns out best.”, Alsina pointed out.

The journalist added that, in his opinion, the former leader “overestimates himself a bit politically, I get the impression”, in reference to his role in recent major political agreements.

He also questioned some of his statements about his influence in key negotiations: “I was the architect of the progressive government, right? I achieved the motion of no confidence, right? I made a pact with the PNV. Architect of impossible pacts. He is convinced that he goes to Brussels and he gets Puigdemont to sign the investiture pact. I allow myself to doubt because that agreement had already been reached by President Sánchez and his immediate circle, and Mr. Puigdemont. Santos Cerdán went there because a photo had to be taken and someone had to go take the photo.”

Alsina also referred to Cerdán's own version of his departure from the party leadership: “There is only one element, I think a bit novel, in which he says that he presents the resignation. That is, Sánchez has not asked him or removed him from the party leadership, but that he is the one who goes to La Moncloa to tell Sánchez that he has already decided to resign.”

For his part, he concluded with a reflection on the tone of the book and its political interpretation: “I don't know if it's a warning, because the truth is that I haven't perceived many signs in the book of wanting to tell things that haven't been told until now and that could incriminate others. Thank you very much.”

The debate also revolved around the political interpretation of the book and the way in which the former leader constructs his own role within recent events, with different readings on his real influence in the political process.