Mónica García: "The 'Ayuso phenomenon' has already reached its obsolescence; his Trumpism has short legs"
“Come on, Yolanda”, he throws a spontaneous. And she laughs, thanks, continues. “Mónica, we love you”, another more focused one comes later. He is in his land, Arganzuela. There Más Madrid touches 40% in the premises; in the regional ones, it is Ayuso who reaches that figure. Against her goes, as a nemesis for May 28.
How do you face a campaign if all the polls give a majority, even an absolute majority, to Ayuso? With great expectations of seeing the work done these four years reflected. We did not come to this campaign new, but with the endorsement of the people of Madrid to recognize us as the real alternative to Mrs. Ayuso, the only ones who can send her to the opposition. Did you expect that the massive demonstrations for public health would pass you a higher bill to Ayuso? I would not personalize it in the bill that happens to her, but the one that happens to us, after years of deterioration that materialize in not having access to our Primary Care doctor, pediatrician… We lose the jewel in the crown. We can't afford it and we want to fix that mess. Is Health only left-wing? No, it's common sense, and it has to do with the concept of society that we want to bequeath. Healing we have done it among all. You have to contribute among all and you have to give according to the needs. Since Health is something that you don't know when you're going to need it, taxes are the best life insurance we can have. From the White Tide, I already said that with the PP institutional corruption prevails in Health. Isn't this a very serious accusation to sustain? I have studied corruption in health systems a lot. In Europe it is taken into account, because it is considered to be one of the most corruptible areas. It occurs when they are perverted, because they are not aligned with their purpose, in this case, patient care. If you focus on business or other spurious interests, the original spirit is corrupted. Money that should go to care for health is going down other people's drains. He faces the elections with a real objective, to establish himself as leader of the opposition, and a more utopian one, to win. They said in May 68: «Let's be realistic, let's ask for the impossible ». I give continuity to that phrase: let's be dreamers, let's make it possible. It is possible to turn Madrid around, let good sense and decency rule…. not utopian. And I believe that it is not only possible after 28 years of the PP in this community to change the political sign, but also to change the way of doing politics. Who won the debate on Tuesday? The president was able to present something that she is proud of after four years and missed that opportunity. He shielded himself, as since he governed, in Sánchez, ETA, empty slogans … How do you value wearing the face of Ayuso's relative on a T-shirt? I did not realize it during the debate. I can answer for what I think has to be a debate. We tried to focus it on the president answering questions from Madrid, and she evaded all responsibility. When I asked him about climate change, he said: “I don't take it for granted”. Not even for the 880,000 people on waiting lists, the 7,291 older people who died in residences.. Think about personal calculations or, I insist, about his internal war with Feijóo. His program has 1,273 measures. Is there so much to change? We have kicked neighborhoods, schools, health centers, neighborhood associations…. and you realize that there are many things to do. As if you need 850 milligrams of a medicine and I give you 250. That happens with Madrid. There are a few who are living above their means or, better said, above the means of the rest of Madrid, who are living below the means of a community with the talent and wealth that Madrid has. We cannot be the richest Community in Spain and one of the richest in Europe and yet have the poorest public services. Schools in barracks, La Cañada Real, a million and a half people in social exclusion… It's not just that it's indecent, it's a brake on development. They make you want to govern now, so that the Government stops being a brake on growth. What measure is more urgent? Fix public health. There is no private insurance that covers the experience and talent of our Health, and it must be rebuilt, from Primary Care to mental health. And another of the priorities is housing, that sinkhole of dreams. Finally, reindustrialize. And the north-south gap must be rebalanced, which makes inequality a drag. For the PP, inequality is a lesser evil that is accompanied by growth. In addition to the mistake of collecting the thermal social bonus, what else does not allow you to sleep peacefully? Oh, no, I sleep very peacefully, thank God. Acknowledging mistakes lets you sleep very peacefully. I can be wrong, but I'm sure I'm not going to be wrong, leaving the elderly abandoned in residences without medical care or saying that women are spoiled because they want to get home without being harassed. Using a motto from Ayuso, what What is “living Madrid-style” for you? Madrid is an open, supportive, diverse, plural region, and we should not confuse that with the law of the jungle. Living Madrid style is not the law of the jungle. As she said during the pandemic: why are we going to sacrifice 99% to save 1%? Everything is worth here is not the spirit that this region really exudes, nourished by people who want their rights and freedoms to be lived in their full expression, but also respecting the rights and freedoms of others.
Mónica García, in her interview with GRAN MADRID this week. In his book, he reveals that he was nervous in the first meetings with Ayuso. Are those nerves still there? How is that personal attunement? No, I don't have any personal attunement, I could have it, but I don't have it. Not only do we not agree ideologically, but we do not agree on what the tool of politics means, which should be a refuge for those who have to defend themselves from abuses and authoritarianism. And in this aspect, my personal relationship with her does not exist. Nerves? I defend people who have nerves when exercising their profession. It implies that you care. I have them in many situations. Is she the nemesis, an enemy of Ayuso? A nemesis, not an enemy. How do you explain the Ayuso phenomenon to your friends outside of Madrid if Madrid, according to you, is so bad? The Ayuso phenomenon has been going on for a long time which reached its scheduled obsolescence. It is an effect that has not only been seen here. The great reference is Trumpism, which uses tools that may work electorally, but not socially and neither politically; keep people away from politics. Propaganda and hollow speeches, do they work? Surely. But I will never use them. I do not confront Ayuso, I confront his politics and his management. When politics goes polarizing, talking about Sánchez, circus, it can have its electoral returns, but it has rather short legs. Democracy pays the price for this policy. Why do people buy this message if it is false, according to you? Does the voter lack knowledge…? No, no, the voter does not. I insist, there are messages that work, which does not mean that it is healthy, but they work.. Using the wishes of the people, plunged into a pandemic, is it fair game? Does it work or not? Politics must be used with scruples, because it is a very powerful tool. Power is powerful: the PP has been ruling here for 28 years and it is still a Goliath with which, among all the davides, we want to end. I always tell Mrs. Ayuso that it is one thing to have power and another thing to be powerful. To be powerful is to say that I finished building this school. I want to use politics to make citizens powerful again. Will Ayuso finish the legislature? She has said that she is going to use the trust that the people of Madrid place in her to go elsewhere, a second round, I don't know if against Feijóo. Did Ayuso say that? [She said: «28-M is the first round that marks the course of Spain»]. She has said that for her the Madrid elections are a first round. Then, the second I don't know if it is to make Feijóo end up where Casado ended up, she would have to explain it to us. What there is not is a second round for Health, housing, the elderly to those who give junk food in residences…. He wants Madrid to give him votes for his personal goals. He insists that national politics not be discussed in Madrid, but citizens deserve to know their opinion on national issues. What do you think of Bildu presenting terrorists? I am not saying that Spain is not being talked about, in fact Madrid is a fundamental piece and that is why we want to change it, but there are debates about Madrid that must be held now. That said, [Bildu's is] completely irresponsible, unnecessary and I'm glad they corrected it, but it's incomprehensible.
I have no personal harmony with Ayuso, none, not only ideological
At the end of the debate there were reproaches among the left. Was the regional pact with Podemos so impossible? No, in the debate I said that I wish the rest all the luck, but we have found a recipe that works, that reconciles people with politics, that talks about everyday things , and that has made us play the final with Mrs. Ayuso. If on 28-M we all do our job well, we will meet on May 29 in a coalition government in Sol. 5% of Podemos is at stake and if it does not succeed, it favors Ayuso. Would you feel responsible for closing a pact with Podemos? I am only responsible for what I lead and…. We must also recognize the merit of Más Madrid. Four years ago they gave us up for lost. With all the adjectives that Más Madrid puts, it moves away from that extremism that Podemos has always sold. Is it strategy? Should the left be less of a hooligan in Madrid? It's not a matter of appearances. I am radical in defense of public health. But this is not about adjectives, it is going to be a little ant for four years, defending public services, and in the economic, business plane. The 4-M, stopped Pablo Iglesias dead in his tracks. Now repeat: “It was presented in 2021 and the results were already seen.” Really, I am not worried about closing wounds or anything. I won't have a bad word about the rest. Are you worried about not repeating the sorpasso? I'm not worried about that either. If there isn't, will it be a failure? give it. We present ourselves against Ayuso. I just want Madrid to stop confronting other regions, Moncloa, European common sense, the climate crisis, feminism; to stop facing the 21st century. that is my goal. If I look to the sides -I did a lot of athletics-, in the end I lose steam. Does your sorpasso matter for the project of your intimate Yolanda Díaz? Of course I have a very good harmony with Yolanda and we have a common concept of what politics is for. There is beautiful politics to do. But our contribution to the progressive spectrum is to win the elections in Madrid and make courageous policies like those of Yolanda Díaz. Díaz did not answer Évole about who she would vote for. Do you know? No, I haven't asked. Isn't it necessary? There is one thing that characterizes Yolanda and me. We appreciate each other, but above all respect. It is the fundamental thing to understand each other between different forces: respect, collaboration and fraternity. We have plenty of that. Will it make the leap to national politics? Well-being is at stake in health, education, housing policies…. All this is the responsibility of the autonomies. A mí me gusta Madrid