The end of 'election Tuesdays' leaves Sánchez's campaign orphaned by ads

SPAIN

The Luis Adaro de Gijón fairgrounds are a kind of talisman for the PSOE, for the Asturian socialists. They say that whenever they hold a campaign rally in this complex “it brings us luck, there is a good result”. In search of that positive omen, Pedro Sánchez traveled this Wednesday. The President of the Government has starred in the PSOE campaign with a cascade of announcements that began on April 16. But the celebration this Tuesday, May 23, of the last Council of Ministers before the municipal and regional elections on May 28 has left the campaign of the socialist leader devoid of measures. With no option for his Cabinet to approve initiatives before the elections, he focuses his message on Health, on presenting his party as the guarantor of health, public services. “Voting for the PSOE is voting for Public Health”, is the message.

Sánchez started at the PSOE municipal convention in Valencia, on April 16, a strategy to mark all the way up to 28-M of million-dollar measures and investments that were then approved every Tuesday by the Council of Ministers. The starting signal was the advance of a plan to mobilize up to 50,000 Sareb homes for safe rental. The last one, last Sunday, an investment of 38.5 million for mental health. And this Monday anticipated the approval on Tuesday of the law of equal representation and balanced presence of men and women in decision-making bodies, which also affects constitutional bodies of the State such as the Constitutional Court, the General Council of the Judiciary or the Council of State , among others.

The PSOE focused its campaign on initiatives in Housing first, then in Education and in the last stretch in Health. In between, investments in infrastructure have also multiplied by six. Sánchez himself has referred to the criticism he has received for these ads: “They say that I look like a multi-ad. We do not advertise, we publish in the BOE”.

But this Tuesday, May 23, the last Council of Ministers was held before the elections. And that deployment of initiatives has slowed down. Neither on Tuesday nor on Wednesday have there been any announcements. The message focuses on asking for the vote and identifying the PSOE as the party of progress and social rights. For this, Sánchez exhibited in Gijón measures such as the revaluation of pensions, the increase in the minimum wage, investments in Health, the commitment to Mental Health….”We have not wasted time and we have turned the legislature of difficulties into in that of rights, progress and social peace”. A speech that contrasts with the “cuts” and the “neoliberal response” that, he wields, the PP gave in the previous economic crisis.

“A raffle”

Some proposals that have not been consulted or agreed upon with the United Podemos wing of the Government. This has generated discomfort and criticism among the purple, who have not hesitated to censor many of the measures, going so far as to describe some of them, especially those related to housing, as “unspeakable” or “expired”.. This same week, Yolanda Díaz spoiled Sánchez for his million-dollar investments for mental health and Primary Care centers: Public health “defends itself every day, not only with electoral announcements.”

In the purple sector of the Government, Sánchez's campaign approach has not been liked because they consider “it seemed like a tombola”. His diagnosis is that the cascade of promises “distorted them. They have not managed to make any of them become a campaign issue”. “They have taken measures in a hurry without hitting the key, without reaching the hearts of the people”. What's more, from Podemos, from the Ministry of Social Rights led by Ione Belarra, contacted the Presidency, with Minister Félix Bolaños, to try to agree on and arrange ads that “mark the campaign” and could make both profitable. But the PSOE maintained its roadmap of monopolizing the ads.

Not only has it been substantiated that Sánchez has taken center stage in the campaign, but for a month and a half ago, since the Prime Minister began to shell out initiatives at socialist rallies, only socialist ministers have appeared in La Moncloa. They are the ones who have made the ads profitable. April 11 was the last appearance of a purple minister: it was Yolanda Díaz, who came out together with the spokesperson, Isabel Rodríguez, and the head of Education, Pilar Alegría, to present the Comprehensive Law to Promote the Social Economy.

The socialist strategy in this final stretch is focused on seeking the vote of the moderates and even, as the president of the Principality and socialist candidate, Adrián Barbón, said, the vote of “those disenchanted with the PP”. Sánchez champions the message: “Those who are hesitating between going to vote or not, who are not sure who to vote for, I ask them: 'Does voting really matter?' I think so, because with the vote we have shown that the minimum wage can be raised, pensions can be revalued, public hospitals can be built…”, he exposed in an act attended by Adriana Lastra, former number 2 of the PSOE, and with whom Sánchez wanted to have an express mention for “support in difficult times”.

In the act, Barbón has made an appeal to unlink the 28-M elections from the “national code”. “Sometimes I have the feeling that some are confused about elections, they think they are generals. These elections go from many mayors and regional deputies. These elections are about electing mayors and the president of Asturias.”

And he has taken the opportunity to claim their autonomy and independence from Madrid, from Ferraz, to have their own voice. “Of course we agree on many things with the Government of Spain, but when there are discrepancies we also say them. You elected me in Asturias. I can defend the interests of Asturias freely because I have been a socialist since I was 17 years old and Asturian since I was born. And if there are discrepancies my priority is Asturias, I will always defend Asturias,” he proclaimed before a standing-room-only crowd.