Steve McQueen in the movie The King of the Game used to say to one of his colleagues in the poker game: “You paid to see my cards, the lessons are separate”. Pedro Sánchez announced at eleven yesterday morning that he was calling general elections in view of the results of the municipal and regional elections held on Sunday. It was an unexpected appearance, without reporters and, therefore, without questions. It was another way of saying that he taught the cards, but he wouldn’t explain the strategy. This, as a political lesson, was apart of the speech.
After the victory of the right, which anticipated changes in the Government of Spain, Sánchez regained the initiative and in a risky exercise of audacity announced the dissolution of the Courts and the calling of elections on July 23, with the Spanish presidency of the EU underway. With this he achieved several things: that the right-wing stopped refociling with its victory, that the socialist barons who have been dethroned (or almost) cannot sharpen their knives, that Podemos and Sumar abandon their differences if they do not want to disappear from the political map, that the socialists rearm without the crisis having an effect on their spirits and that the parties that have supported the central government have no doubts that there is an opportunity to turn the situation around.
The Spanish president has caught everyone off guard and today the news in the media is no longer the result of Sunday but Sánchez’s bet of double or nothing. So let’s go to a second round, where the left can correct the shot, although it won’t be easy. The right will have to do something more than repeat the discourse of anti-sanchism. Sánchez does not hold on to power, on the contrary, he approaches his defense bare-chested. Movement alters the game board.
The president may be liked more or less, but no one can deny his bravery. He has proven to be a master of audacity, although Napoleon warned that with it you can try everything, which does not mean that you can achieve everything. But Pedro Sánchez will not start rolling the credit he has. He gave this volley to win, not to sink. For now, it has pushed them all out of their comfort zone.
