The first debate of the Catalan candidates for the general elections on July 23, organized by La Vanguardia and RAC1, has left a trail of anecdotes, with various protagonists and various motivations. Belen Esteban has been mentioned and the regulations of the Congress of Deputies have also been discussed.
In this section, there have been fundamental political issues… and other more prosaic ones, such as the jokes between the candidates.
Aina Vidal, candidate for Sumar-En Comú Podem, reproached the PP candidate, Nacho Martín Blanco, for the pacts with Vox. “Not even Belén Esteban will vote for them,” she warned him.
“Don Pelayo” was the nickname that Roger Montañola, number one of the Espai CiU-PDECat candidacy, dedicated to the Vox candidate, Juan José Aizcorbe, when he spoke of the Islamization of Catalonia. The others have not entered that field on the two occasions that Santiago Abascal’s men tried.
The anti-capitalist candidate, Albert Botran, in the golden minute, which was actually half a minute, could not find the camera that was recording him, amid jokes from his adversaries, who told him that he was on the right. Botran did not complicate his life. “Vote for the CUP”, he summed up between laughs.
Botran’s first intervention was a dart at Meritxell Batet, PSC candidate and president of the Congress of Deputies, who in the Lower House does not let her speak in Catalan every time the anti-capitalist tries. She began her intervention by thanking her for being able to do so in the debate and the president responded that she complies with the regulations. The other sovereignist leaders pointed out that there is nothing written about it.
The ERC leader in Madrid, Gabriel Rufián, told Junts and the CUP several times that he has felt alone throughout the legislature. He actually talked about tactics and the negotiation with Moncloa. Both the post-convergents and the anti-capitalists have blamed him for the results of his strategy.
The reference to Don Pelayo has not been the only time that Montañola has charged against the Vox candidate, although both have agreed on some aspects, such as the defense of private property. “Some in this debate have been trapped in 2017 and Mr. Aizcorbe in 1960,” she pointed out.
The PSC candidate, Meritxell Batet, had a slip in one of her speeches and confused Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the current popular candidate, with former president Mariano Rajoy. Both are Galician and from the PP.
Junts and PDECat fish in the same electoral fishing ground. In Barcelona, ??a few weeks ago, they went hand in hand under the Xavier Trias pavilion, but this time each one carries their banner. For this reason, Montañola sought to tickle Míriam Nogueras several times, although without tightening the rope too much. He reproached him for dedicating himself to “moving flags” in Congress and “playing the show” while the PDECat worked on amendments.
