This is going to be a world premiere! The journalist Olga Viza, moderator of the third most-watched political face-off in history, –the Zapatero vs. Rajoy of March 2008 – draws attention to the fact that we have never seen Pedro Sánchez and Alberto Núñez Feijóo face to face. In the Senate, both have been seen laterally, in the distance, each one from his seat, talking about everything. This Monday, starting at 10 pm, we will see them discuss with nothing in between. Separated by exactly two meters on the Atresmedia television set.
A lot will be written about the importance of this face-to-face, but in the six previous ones since the first one was held in 1993 -the one with Gonzalez-Aznar- none have had catastrophic consequences for one of the contenders in the opinion of Manuel Campo Vidal, the journalist who has moderated four of the six held.
They have been important, but decisive? Campo maintains that face-to-face meetings “act as what chemists call a catalyst, not only among the electorate but also internally.” They reinforce convictions or weaken them. It is perhaps what Feijóo is looking for when risking a debate despite the fact that he is clearly ahead: to consolidate internal leadership, even within his own party. Sánchez, by contrast, clearly needs to reverse the trend. That is more difficult. Of the six face-to-face events held, only one later resulted in a change of government, that is, a majority.
Let’s see his story.
This first face-to-face broadcast by Antena3 did not go well for Felipe González. He hadn’t prepared for his contestant. He confessed it to Manuel Campo Vidal when they were saying goodbye to the evening at the studio door: “This guy can put up with a debate!” Aznar, on the contrary, was reinforced. He had prepared it for him, especially in everything related to the progress of the economy – a crisis began then – and it showed. González went half face to face without even looking at his opponent face to face until his advisers, during the program break, warned him of his mistake. It was the first debate in that format and everyone was learning.
The second face-to-face, broadcast by Telecinco and moderated by Luis Mariñas, was the result of González’s misstep seven days earlier. Aznar was not worried about going back. But this time González, who would continue to lead the Government until three years later, arrived more prepared and changed the sign. There we learned something obvious: that face to face only takes place if both parties want it. For the purposes of the present: there could be another face-to-face if this Monday does not satisfy Sánchez and especially the one ahead, Feijóo.
This has so far been the most watched face to face in the history of television. Produced by the Television Academy and moderated by Manuel Campo Vidal, it is remembered because in the final minute, when Rajoy addressed the audience to ask for a vote, he spoke of the famous girl to whom he promised a family, home and work. Few understood that rhetorical figure. The debate, despite the fact that the worst crisis that would end up dismantling the Spanish economy was unleashed in that year, focused on the reform of the Statute, the Ibarretxte plan and the negotiations with ETA. However, both maintained a conciliatory tone. In this sense, Manuel Campo Vidal points out that the personal relationships between the two leaders play an important role in how the program develops. Zapatero and Rajoy, despite everything, did not get along.
In this case there was also a second round of the first face to face. Moderated by Olga Viza, it was held eight days later and may perhaps be remembered for the white paper, the document with government data that Zapatero put on the table and to which he constantly referred throughout the face-to-face. “It’s all here” said Zapatero, placing his hand on the book every time Rajoy refuted some official information. For the first time in history, the document was shared at the same time on the La Moncloa website. Today it is no longer available. The original, the one that Zapatero took to the studio, is kept by Olga Viza at home. The debate focused less on the territorial issue than the first. However, Rajoy launched an accusation that this Monday we may hear again: “With you, Mr. Rodríguez Zapatero, ETA has returned to the town halls.”
Everyone took it for granted that Rubalcaba – who was one of the most brilliant orators in Spanish politics – was going to overthrow Rajoy. He arrived with the perfectly studied electoral program of the PP and he unmasked it before Mariano Rajoy –another magnificent speaker– who found it difficult to place his messages. It was an exemplary face-to-face in terms of manners –Rubalcaba and Rajoy got along well– and Rajoy narrowly won it according to subsequent polls, which shows us, as Campo Vidal recalls, that face-to-faces are not alien to existing expectations. The PP won the elections by an absolute majority.
It was the bitterest face to face in history. In the middle of the outbreak of the PP corruption cases, a thrown Pedro Sánchez told Mariano Rajoy that he was not a decent person. That phrase marked the entire debate with a Rajoy who lost his temper. “You are young. And you are going to lose the elections. But what he has said is mean, petty and miserable and it will always haunt him ”. The progressive press gave victory to Sánchez, the conservative one gave it to Rajoy who won the elections. Three years later, after the conviction of the PP for corruption, a motion of censure would knock down Rajoy.
