The Valencian PP candidate for Congress, Esteban González Pons, has demonstrated throughout his political career an exquisite ability in the art of public speaking, well fueled by his passion for literature and writing. Today he has shown it again to prevail in a debate organized by Cadena SER and El País, with the Valencian candidates for 23-J, in which he has only found in Àgueda Micó, candidate for Sumar-Compromís, the right rival to confront proposals and ideas against the rigid position of the minister and PSOE candidate, Diana Morant, and against the Vox candidate, Carlos Flores.
Even Pons has been able to exercise some authority in the rules of the democratic game when he has come out to defend José Luís Abalos, number two in the candidacy for Valencia, when Carlos Flores has made a serious insinuation to Diana Morant: “perhaps I should you give explanations of the dark double life of your number two in your candidacy”. The minister, who had announced that she would not speak to the Vox candidate, was silent before the serious accusation. And it was González Pons who, addressing Carlos Flores, told him that “I censure you for making such a serious accusation without evidence against a person who is not present.”
The debate, moderated by the director of Cadena Ser in the Valencian Community, Bernardo Guzmán, gained substance when Pons and Micó questioned each other on issues such as the expansion of the port, gender violence, regional financing or investments in the suburbs. The popular candidate focused part of his speech on denouncing what in his opinion are the “effects of Sanchismo” on Spanish society, especially in economic matters and quality of life.
Diana Morant remained firm in her denunciation of the PP and Vox pacts and the consequences for individual liberties and for the new narrative that the ultra-right is imposing on gender violence. She making it clear that if Feijó is president of the Government “it will be because he has agreed with the extreme right.” She defined the Valencian pact of the PP and Vox as “the pact of shame” and warned of the risks that the progress made in social matters in Spain “will have the presence of the extreme right in the institutions.”
The socialist candidate has accused the PP of buying without hesitation the ideology of Vox, which violates the rights of women, the LGTBI collective or denies climate change. Morant has decided not to speak with the Vox candidate, whom he considers unworthy of holding public office for having been convicted of a crime that today would be gender violence.
González Pons has insisted on the needs that many families and companies go through to make ends meet, he has insisted that the legislature has been lost for the interests of the Valencians, the greatest exponent has been the change of the Atocha station for the de Chamartín for the connection between Madrid and the Valencian Community. And he has expressed the intention of the PP to govern alone, even if it is in a minority, for which he requests the abstention of other parliamentary groups.
In his speeches, the Vox candidate, Carlos Flores, has highlighted his party’s intention to slim down the public administration and reduce bureaucracy, he has indicated that Vox is here to stay and that he intends to govern. He has also pointed out that to defend women what you have to do is “control the borders.”
Àgueda Micó, who has defended that voting for his option is voting twice, in defense of rights and social progress, and the interests of the Valencian agenda. Micó has indicated that his formation is the only one that defends them, because popular and socialists end up following orders from Genoa and Ferraz, in matters such as regional financing. In addition, she has recovered a 2019 article by González Pons in which the popular was against the expansion of the Port of Valencia, and has proposed that this legislature present an initiative to stop it. González Pons has responded that he continues to think the same, and is willing to negotiate as long as it is in defense of Valencian interests.
(((There will be expansion)))
