The PSC plans to have the assiduous presence of the President of the Central Government during the Catalan electoral campaign that will begin on April 25. As La Vanguardia has learned from party sources, Sánchez will visit Catalonia five times, including for the start of the campaign and for the closing, on May 10. “Pedro Sánchez adds to Catalonia and Zapatero, too”.
Salvador Illa’s party will also have the participation of former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who has become one of the best assets for the Socialists for his defense of Sánchez’s policy and his management of the Catalan issue. Instead, the PSC will do without the ministers of the current Central Executive, to avoid being identified with the Koldo case.
The PSC are convinced that Sánchez can activate the vote of the Catalan voters who already trusted them in the general elections of July 23. Thanks to those good results in Catalonia – the PSC won 19 deputies compared to the seven from Junts and the seven from ERC -, the PSOE leader was able to retain the presidency of the Spanish Government. The objective for the 12-M is, therefore, to reissue that broad support, which would allow a sufficient victory for Illa to try to preside over the Generalitat.
Although the dates for Sánchez’s visits to the Catalan campaign have not yet been set, the first is expected to be on Friday to sign the foreseeable agreement on the reindustrialisation of the old Nissan plant in Barcelona, ??still in pre-campaign. He will also return for the start of the campaign and for the closing rally.
The PSC assures that the president has a great interest in Illa achieving his goals, because it would mean recognition of his management in Catalonia. In Moncloa, these elections are taken as a test of this management, so that if Illa gets majority support, it will strengthen the president in the rest of Spain. For the PSC, it makes no sense to think that Sánchez needs an independence victory if he wants to ensure the stability of the legislature.
Zapatero’s presence in the Catalan campaign was taken for granted. The former president is a staunch defender of Sánchez’s handling of the Catalan issue, both with pardons and amnesties, as well as with the defense and expansion of self-government.
However, the PSC will not have the socialist ministers. The reason is the Koldo case, in which former members of the Spanish Executive are involved, such as former minister José Luis Ábalos and his advisor Koldo García. They consider that the dedication of the ministers to fight this issue does not add up as Sánchez does.
Illa is also preparing his statement before the Senate committee on masks, set for April 24, just one day before the start of the Catalan campaign. The PSC candidate is determined to give explanations “with respect to the institution”, convinced that “there is nothing” that could incriminate him. But in view of the possibility that the parties may try to “play dirty” due to the proximity of the appointment to the polls, the possibility of responding is reserved by highlighting the management that was carried out of the pandemic by some administrations autonomous
