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Interview with María Dolores de Cospedal

María Dolores de Cospedal: "The macho attacks have hurt me a lot"

  • In the first interview that María Dolores de Cospedal grants after her abrupt departure from politics, the former secretary general of the PP denounces the constant attacks she suffered - "they wanted my civil death," he says - and rules out his return. The tranquility recovered by a "gratifying" position as a lawyer of the State in the Supreme Court, and with time now for her husband and her son, the one who was one of the most powerful women in Spain tells us about her new life.

Tuesday of last week. Six in the afternoon. The Punic case continues to hammer Genoa. While its leaders cross messages via WhatsApp, a classical music thread plays on a roof top with zenithal views of the Gran Vía. There, a lawyer from the State dressed in a white suit and completely oblivious to headlines about corruption waits for months. They would have overshadowed his face. That face that had never radiated as much light as now through the darkness of politics. Because this Madrid no longer bears the marks of the first line of fire in her eyes. Of betrayals. From the attacks of the press. From his confrontation with the dog face with Barcenas. Nor of resentment. The former general secretary of the PP María Dolores de Cospedal has not pronounced since last November she left the policy through the back door after almost two decades. Without the public support of that party for which he so often faced.

The appearance of a series of recordings of her husband, Ignacio López del Hierro, with the controversial commissioner José Villarejo advanced an abandonment that she had already decided when she lost the primaries. It has been 10 months of reflection, of starting a "gratifying" life as a State attorney in the Supreme Court and of spending time that she could not to her family, especially her son, Ricardo, and her husband, with whom she will celebrate that night Happy your 10 years of marriage.

Why break your silence now? I needed some time for reflection and Yo Dona has given me the opportunity to be part of your project. It is a magazine that I have always liked because of the approach with which it addresses general issues from the perspective of women. An exciting challenge to write about what I want from my point of view and no longer as a party leader. Now I will be able to say things that I have always believed in and freely, because when one is a secretary general she is upset. Do you miss politics? Because you carried it in your blood ... No. The restlessness is carried in the blood by the subjects that happen in your country. I think I will have political restlessness until I die, but the activity as such I do not miss it.Do not you miss those moments in which it was the center of all the flashes, in which I had power? Not at all. Are you worried about what the media is still writing about you? I don't practically follow them.

Dress, Mango. Earrings and necklace, by Aristocrazy. PHOTO: XIMENA Y SERGIO

A day after this interview, the former Minister of Defense would celebrate the acquittal of the PP for the case of erasing Bárcenas hard drives that cost so many attacks and for which he was never charged: "Finally justice has made clear another great lie, it has been six years. Time puts everyone in their place but does not return the damage caused, nor the outrages or false accusations, "he would tell us.

What has recovered outside the political battle? Time for me, my friends and my family. I had hardly rested for many years and I have been able to reflect and see things with perspective. To be aware of what I did well and what I was wrong about. What was wrong? In many things. In getting too involved, that seems like a mistake in Spain. In politics it is punished, in the private world it is rewarded. Did it abandon the first line with a bitter taste? There is a bitter part that also occurs in many areas of life, what happens is that in politics there is a light bulb above . When I decided that I wanted to be part of a project, I never thought that politics would sometimes turn into a kind of machine to destroy human beings, a crusher. It must not be that. It is bad, because valid and vocational people do not want to enter politics. Has it felt that they have destroyed it? They have hurt me. I left with a different flavor than I thought, but fortunately time puts things in their place and now I feel very well.More darling? I feel very loved in the street and comforted by many people, and I appreciate it, because Politics is very ungrateful. Would you recommend your son Ricardo to be a politician? He would rather not be. If you want to be a militant or part of a political project, fine, but not that it was your main activity. He has been aware of what his mother has suffered. Have his parents been glad that he left public activity? Surely more than me, because they have seen how his daughter was harmed. They have suffered, but they have also felt proud of me.

Weekend Max Mara dress and earrings by P De Paola. PHOTO: XIMENA Y SERGIO

Imagine that Pablo Casado comes to the presidency of the Government and offers to return as a minister. What would you answer? I will never return to politics, but I will continue to militate in the PP. He worried about placing some of his collaborators in the new PP. Have you returned that affection? Many of them do and those that do not interest me either, happens in all facets of life. Generally, with whom you have behaved, sometimes it is you who disappoint you the most. Many people have also surprised me and treated me with more affection than before. They ran rivers of ink over their rivalry with Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría. Do you regret that enmity? What has been said does not mean that it is true. Much has been written in the press about it because we were two women in positions of great responsibility in the Government and in the party. If we had been men, it would not have happened. Wasn't that rivalry true? I had no better or worse relationship with her than with other colleagues. It is part of the myth that women are our worst enemies. Political rivalries do not matter in both sexes. Do you keep in touch with Rajoy? Yes, I talk to him from time to time and almost always about personal issues. He has had a way of focusing his way out of politics with a great manor. They are part of a generation that decided to take a step back ... Well, Rajoy and I are not from the same generation! [Laughs. The former president is 64 years old and she, 53]. We took a step back, because suddenly Spain decided that all leaders were exultantly young and inexperienced. I don't think that is necessarily good. Youth itself does not have to be a virtue. Those who are 40 and 50 cannot be thrown overboard, it is a mistake, but hey, that has happened in Spain. Could they have avoided the motion of censure that ended Rajoy? Nothing could be done. He left with the support of the PSOE, Podemos, the independentistas and Bildu. Or having called elections. At that time there was no possibility of calling them. There are many repentant people, but the actions have consequences and you have to know it. When her husband's recordings appeared with Villarejo and she reported her abandonment of the policy she complained about the lack of support from the PP. Instead, he observed how Minister Dolores Delgado, who had also had conversations with the same police officer, did obtain the support of the PSOE. How did it feel? I saw that the measuring sticks were indeed different and the answers were different. I made my decision. In any case I would have taken it the same, but I would have liked another attitude. Was he a victim of fire friend? I was going to go anyway. In principle I was going to do it a little earlier, but I remained to support friends who continued to fight in politics. Sometimes the charity enters the plague. If I had left when I wanted surely some malicious and manipulated information would not have come out. Nor does it worry me much, because I have no bad conscience of having done anything that should not be done as general secretary. As I already knew that I wanted to leave politics, one day I said to myself: 'Does it compensate me to keep fighting and defending that everything they are saying is a lie?' It was a permanent attack, they tried my civil death. Has your health improved since then? When you are constantly holding on and giving your face for 12 or 15 years, that runs out. Some of his former collaborators say they see her more beautiful. Almost everything has been told. There are people who are where they have to be and others are where we have to be. I have an obligation to keep secrets. If one holds a position like the one I have had, discretion is a very important part and if you are not able to keep it, you should not exercise it.

Jersey by Zara. Skirt, by Adolfo Dominguez. Boots, by Pura López. Silver rings, by P De Paola. PHOTO: XIMENA Y SERGIO

What policy do you think is more prepared? Dolors Montserrat.What did you think about Pablo Casado releasing you as a spokesman in Congress in favor of Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo? I think it is very good that Pablo Casado chooses his team. The president of a party has to do it.But does Cayetana like it? Who has to like it is who has chosen it, the militants of the PP and the management cadres. Have the current leaders of the PP asked for advice? Yes How do you see the new PP? I see the Pablo Casado PP wanting to do something very important for Spain, which is to reunify the center-right. It is an important and determined bet. I hope your message is heard. Don't you feel partly responsible for the bad results reaped by your party in the last general election? In Genoa some voices insist that the inheritance received was bad. They received an inheritance with twice as many seats. When one accepts a responsibility, it does so with its history and its present. The PP was not born a year ago, but 40. If you continue in a political project in which you believe, you have to correct the bad, but also defend the good. What is not worth it is that everything that is bad is inherited and that what is good has been invented by me. What is it that revolts most about the current political situation? Let nothing be treated with genuine seriousness, let everything be superficial and It is based on a message of 20 seconds, that the real problems of half-way do not matter, that nobody looks to the future but to the immediacy. That revolts me because it is of a frivolity without limits and it is not good for Spain. What do you think of the current political blockade that Spain is living in? Spain needs a government, and if whoever has won the elections does not want the support of those who took it to the presidency, you have to explain it. His natural allies are offered, but he wants to rule as if he had a majority, and for that he asks for the abstention of his opposition. You can't fool your constituents all the time, you have to decide. Does an executive terrify you with charges of Podemos? I am not terrified of the decisions of the Spaniards, what terrifies me is that they change democracy for populism and convenience to short term. Superficiality and unique thinking are taking over our society, that scares me. How would I solve the conflict in Catalonia? I don't have the magic wand, but what I know is that the law has to be the same for everyone. What sentence would you like for Procés leaders? I hope it is fair and the law is fulfilled. Let it be seen that the first ones who have to comply with it are the political leaders. Did Rajoy follow his recommendations on how to manage the separatist order? He paid attention to many things and not others.

Free time

My last readings

The colors of the fire, by Pierre Lemaitre; Istanbul, city and memories, of Orhan Pamuk, and La trilogía de Trajano, by Santiago Posteguillo.

My favorite series

The Good Wife, Homeland, Narcos, Fariña and House of Cards.

My star dish

Gazpacho. I also like desserts very well.

My side handyman

I know how to assemble Ikea furniture.

My fashion style

Classic with a touch of transgression: I like heels, narrow skirts but not prints.

The passing of the years

I take good care of my skin, but I'm afraid of cosmetic touch-ups. I have been well over the years. Being an older mother has rejuvenated me.

Sport

I really like to walk. I used to do ballet, but I have regular meniscus. I was silly, in politics I should have done yoga to relax, but I never found the time.

What did you think of the condemnation against La Manada de Pamplona? That there are herds is outrageous and they have to have the most absolute condemnation, but I think you also have to be careful when judging these types of cases and that justice is fair . I am not referring to the specific case of La Manada de Pamplona. But I have also lived as a Minister of Defense who spoke of a supposed military pack and was a lie. These issues must be very rigorous because, if not, we are the harmed women. Do we have to improve the Law of gender violence? The number of women killed does not decrease. I do not believe that by making the law more or less hard there will be less violence. We do not want to say it out loud because it is politically incorrect, but if one sees statistics on gender violence there is a very high percentage of people who have not been educated in Spain. We have to continue working on the education of children. It is an issue that has to be worked on since childhood. Would I have welcomed Open Arms? What I would not have done is to say one day one thing and the next the opposite. In immigration policy you have to be consistent. In the Open Arms there were many things that we do not know, how that ship picked up those people, who signed it, with what money was paid ... There is a human trafficking business in the Mediterranean and for it to work it needs that in on the other side there are people who come to collect those barges that are drifting. These poor people have left their lives and finances to pay some scoundrels. You have to investigate it because you can't encourage the mafias.

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