The political leaders of the Botà nic have reached the end of the electoral campaign with the ships aligned, when a few weeks ago it seemed that one of its captains was willing to set their own course, as when Podem and CompromÃs fought, and not a little, on purpose of the Sumar project. But in tonight’s À Punt debate, Ximo Puig, PSPV candidate, met Joan BaldovÃ, from CompromÃs, and Héctor Illueca, from Unides Podem, escorting his presence and his intervention in the face of harsh and incisive attempts, by Carlos Mazón, who has sought melee against the president of the Generalitat Valenciana from minute one, ignoring the rest of the Botà nic leaders.
The ships on the left maintain cruising speed, sail at a distance of length and have assumed that together they have a better chance of defeating a rival that has strengthened its artillery capacity a few hours before the final battle but that sailed alone, sometimes even with his presumed allies attacking him from the rear. It was the best news for Ximo Puig, who once again emerged unscathed from a campaign debate.
The PP candidate has acted as a candidate with more emphasis than he showed in the Cadena SER debate at the beginning of the campaign; but he has not found the support of Mamen Peris, of Ciudadanos, nor of Carlos Flores, of Vox, who have chosen to develop their own offensive, apart from the leader of the PP. Mamén Peris has even become, at times, tougher against the leader of the PP than the members of the Botà nic, accusing him, once again, of including corrupt people on electoral lists in Alicante. The dynamic has been constant throughout the debate. With Carlos Mazón questioning the social policies of the Botà nic – Education, Health and Social Welfare – led by Ximo Puig; and the president confronting political models with Joan Baldovà and Héctor Illueca seconding the defense of the “Valencian formula”.
It was perceived that Carlos Mazón had become aware of his “solitude” in the strategy, and had prepared the attack with all kinds of data, he knew what was at stake. Each skirmish against Puig provoked a brief one-on-one with the president, but immediately the voices of the Botà nic’s allies sounded, who did not hesitate to underline what in their opinion was an attempt by Mazon to dismantle the Welfare State, with intense replicas. Role in which Héctor Illueca, critical of the president at the beginning of the electoral campaign, was explicit, with many arguments against what he continually described as “unified right” against the social cohesion model. And, at times, of Mamen Peris, she was also a close ally of Ximo Puig, directing harsh criticism at the PP candidate.
Joan Baldovà criticized the lack of will of the PP and the PSOE to solve the financing; but he once again showed that he is a born fighter, skillful and forceful in his response when he attacked Carlos Mazón. His broadsides against the popular candidate once again had, on occasions, the tone of a casino lunch row with a game of truc. The president of the Valencian PP always avoided him, which seemed to please the CompromÃs candidate, who added more arguments against the PP. The one who did want to fight with the Valencian candidate has been Carlos Flores, Vox candidate, who once again accused immigration of the growth of insecurity in the streets. There was, in this regard, a tense moment, when Joan Baldovà reminded him that he was a “condemned” man, in reference to the sentence that Carlos Flores had two decades ago for a crime of psychological violence against his ex-wife. The Vox candidate defended himself by saying that “I have a clean file.”
The debate confirmed two totally different models of management of public resources, which is what is really at stake in this 28M and that the Valencians will have to resolve. The Botà nic model no longer has secrets; the policies were agreed upon eight years ago and have been developed during two legislatures and are audited by society and their extension is announced. In front of them, Carlos Mazón insisted on his recipes for tax reductions in the face of “fiscal hell” and on a substantial improvement, he added, in public services. Ximo Puig turned to the past, the one in which the PP privatized part of the Valencian health system and reduced resources for social services. He argued that Baldovà and Illueca also used it. But in the end, Valencian photography, expanded in this debate, was totally defined: the Botà nic sails together a few hours after 28M, but Carlos Mazón is alone in this last stretch. Neither Vox, and even less Citizens, support him.
PS: Mamen Peris was the toughest with Carlos Flores. She questioned and asked if someone convicted of gender violence against her partner can be part of an electoral list. The funny thing is that none of the other candidates responded.
