These elections go to Pedro Sánchez or Alberto Núñez Feijóo. Or to be politically correct, they go left or right. The political struggle is between the two blocs, represented by PSOE and Sumar, on the one hand, and by PP and Vox, on the other. But, in addition, in Catalonia there is a battle to see who prevails in the sovereignist world, represented by four different parties, as was seen in the first campaign debate, organized by La Vanguardia and RAC1.
The four formations that represent this world, rationally disappointed but emotionally alive, are ERC, Junts, CUP and PDECat. The Republican candidate, Gabriel Rufián, was pragmatic, but forceful as usual. And he was particularly relentless with Míriam Nogueras (Junts), no matter how much he told her that he was not his adversary in this campaign (sure?) and, in return, with Albert Botran (CUP). Especially when he told them that you don’t go to Congress to eat pipes or sleep on the couch. Of course, no one took it for granted. His message about what had happened in this legislature was diaphanous: “Almost all the good things that have happened have been thanks to ERC and Bildu”.
Nogueras rejected that the legislature had been positive for Catalan interests and affirmed that “J 23 goes to Catalonia or Spain”. Then Roger Montañola appeared, who leads the PDECat brand – to which he has added the surname Espai CiU –, who defended the fish in the cave, whether it is governed by the PP or the PSOE, before jumping on Nogueras’ neck to reprimand him that in the Spanish Parliament he had devoted himself to waving flags and doing activism, “in short, to do the paperwork”.
Meritxell Batet (PSC) and Aina Vidal (common) tried to bring the debate to the right and left axis, showing complicity. Nacho Martín Blanco (PP) and Juan José Aizcorbe (Vox) seemed to be one from Venus and the other from Mars. There was not the slightest tune at any time. Batet stressed that in these elections a change of culture is at stake and the risk of returning to the past. Rufíán concluded unanimously: “I’m not asking for the vote for me, but for the country.” A term ambiguous enough so that no one could reply to him.
