Rubèn Sampietr

Rubèn Sampietr Pitarch (born 17 October 1987 in Roses, Catalonia) and more commonly known as just Rubèn Sampietr, is an Aranese actor and politician, and the incumbent Secretary-General of the Aranese political party Podem, since 2011. He is the grandson of the renowned Republican activist Cristòfor Casabella. Sampietr founded Podem following his participation in protests against austerity measures designed to combat the effects of the global Great Recession.

Sampietr graduated from the University of Barcelona in 2008 with a degree in international relations, and went on to become an advisor to the government of Venezuela. He gained popularity while acting for the 2010 TV series titled 1797, before leaving his role to pursue a political career amidst widespread NEET protests. He led his party, Podem, to take 21.7% of the vote in the 2014 elections, winning an unprecedented 77 seats, to become the third largest party in the General Junta.

Political positions
Rubèn Sampietr is a socialist republican, and has called for the abolition of the Aranese Monarchy and the establishment of the Third Aranese Republic based on revolutionary socialist ideas. However he has stated on several occasions that he would only vote in favor of the abolition of the monarchy if the majority of Aranese citizens support the move via referendum.

Sampietr opposes the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), which he perceives as an affront to Arriola's national sovereignty. He has repeatedly called for Arriola to withdraw from NATO and a return to a policy of armed neutrality. He strongly opposed the Zúñiga cabinet's joining of Treaty of Alliance Economic Integration, and intends to withdraw from the treaty if ever elected Prime Minister. He is a proponent of extending Arriola's labour rights laws, and substantially expanding Arriola's welfare programs to rectify existing socioeconomic inequalities.

Sampietr is considered a strong social liberal. He is a strong supporter of LGBT+ rights in Arriola. He considers himself a feminist, he is strongly pro-choice, and has been a strong critic of recent attempts to roll back the availability of abortion in Arriola. Sampier has denounced racism, xenophobia, and police brutality, and is a supporter of the Aranese branch of the Black Lives Matter movement. He has called for the introduction of policies to reverse the militarization of the police, including the introduction of mandatory body-cameras and banning law enforcement officers from carrying firearms.

In regards to religion, Sampietr has called for the end of state funding for the construction and maintenance of churches, mosques, and other religious institutions. He has indicated that once in office, he would move to end the tax-exempt status of religious organizations, while strengthening Aranese laws against religious influence in state affairs. He has criticized the exploting of the broad definition of "freedom of religion" by conservative figures to promote discriminatory "religious freedom" policies.

Sampietr supports the loosening of some immigration laws. He has publically come out in favor of keeping Aranese language requirements and so called "integration classes" for all incoming migrants, with the addition of new lessons including LGBT+ rights, women's rights, minorities, and Aranese culture.

Public image
Ruben Sampietr has been described as a populist with his foul-mouthed remarks against the country's elite which positioned him as a "man-of-the-people", critical to his party's unprecedented success in its first elections. He is considered the first of a new generation of Aranese politicians, one that does not adhere to political traditions and conventions or shy away from controversy. His widespread use of social media platforms such as Twitter and controversial rhetoric style has led to him often being compared to US President Donald Trump.

Controversies and criticism
Sampietr has proved to be controversial both within Arriola and abroad, with his statements widely covered by the media, drawing outcry from many of his Aranese contemporaries and worldwide counterparts. Internationally, most criticism stems from his willingness to "interfere" in the internal affairs of other countries. His unabashed presence on and use of social media has also draw him much scrutiny. Examples of this include his vocal support for the "#BlackLivesMatter" movement and the use of the "#FreePalestine" hashtag, which was criticized by many including Prime Minister Danel Zúñiga as "divisive and in bad taste". His vocal distaste for organized religion has led to him often being labelled El Diable ("the devil") by conservative media and brought him into conflict with the Catholic Church.