Yesterday in Vitoria, Pedro Sánchez sponsored Eneko Andueza’s candidacy for lehendakari and took the opportunity to charge against the PP and Vox, whom he accused of “muddling the ground” and “trivializing the Franco dictatorship”, following the decisions in matter of historical memory of the regional governments chaired by these formations. The president of the Spanish Government and socialist leader also claimed the “decisive” role that the Basque Socialists will have from April 21, alluding to the probable role of arbiter that, as a third force, they will be given the surveys
The President of the Central Government, who will visit Euskadi again next weekend, avoided entering into the confrontation with the PNB and EH Bildu, an issue in which Andueza was wide-eyed, and focused his intervention on the criticism of “the right and the ultra-right”. “They are indistinguishable. It is not known where one begins and where the other ends. They are reactionaries who seek to rewrite history and equate democracy with dictatorship. They only know how to make holes and muddy the playing field”, he criticized them.
In view of the “strategy of tension” that he criticized these formations, Sánchez insisted on defending his government’s economic policy and the advances in the social plan. “We are growing more than the EU average, we have 21 million Social Security members and ten million women working and contributing. We have the interprofessional minimum wage of more than 1,130 euros, and retirees know that they do not lose purchasing power”, he indicated.
In relation to the Basque elections on June 21, Pedro Sánchez bet to claim what will be the axis of the Basque Socialists’ campaign, linked to the likely decisive role they will have. All the polls place the PSE in third position, with between 10 and 12 seats – compared to the 28-29 that PNB and EH Bildu would hover around – and with the key to governability in hand.
Although the growing bipartisan perception of Basque politics may harm them because it polarizes the struggle between the two great national forces, the Socialists have sought to make a virtue of this possible harm and have opted to focus on the leading role it will have, according to all indications, since the post-election Monday. “Vote what you decide”, is the campaign slogan of the Socialists.
“We ask the citizens to vote who will decide what will be the orientation and the policies that will be implemented in Euskadi for the next four years. The acronyms that decide on April 21 are the acronyms of the Socialist Party”, said Sánchez.
The PSE has lost strength in the elections to the Basque Parliament since its best historical results, between 2005 and 2009; even so, the Basque Socialists maintain much of their electoral muscle in general elections. In July they were the most voted force in Euskadi, surpassing by almost 15,000 votes both the PNB and EH Bildu. In this sense, Sánchez appealed to the voters who voted for him in the July elections, a potential electorate, which would place the Socialists well above these 10-12 seats.
Eneko Andueza once again took the opportunity to conclude that Pello Otxandiano (EH Bildu) will not be president. “President, are you saying it again or me? We will not govern with Bildu!” he said.
