• Susana Remacha, the only woman who runs a car factory in Spain: "It is better to covencer than to oblige"
  • Sheriff, doctor, music, sand and other women who make possible every afternoon of bullfighting in Las Ventas

The unexpected political earthquake that Extremadura experienced on the night of 28M has a woman's name: María Guardiola. In just 10 months as president of the Popular Party in this community (when she replaced José Antonio Monago on July 16, 2022), this 44-year-old from Cáceres, married with two children, has been the great surprise of Spanish politics in record time due to the scarce knowledge of her image and personality with which she started an adventure that seemed impossible, and from a position as complicated as that of councilor in the opposition in the city of Cáceres. An absolute stranger. And even more difficult in a territory that has traditionally been a socialist fiefdom.

However, this official by opposition and number 1 of her promotion in Business who studied in Badajoz, has broken all the forecasts following a vital philosophy in which she has always been inspired: the famous 'match by match' of which Simeone, the coach of Atlético de Madrid, speaks. "That model represents me," she acknowledges, therefore, it was not surprising to see her wear very commonly black sweatshirts with this slogan, garments that she acquired online in the solidarity initiative launched by the Argentine coach.

Your favorite music

A musical thread has accompanied her since she was young in her life, especially in the most exciting moments, the songs of Alejandro Sanz, for which she feels true passion: "He is a poet", she describes him while acknowledging that she is the first one who starts singing at family or friends parties in the karaoke to sing the melodies of the Madrid singer-songwriter.

In times of electoral campaign, and with the intention of reaching the youngest, he resorted to Rosalía's music, especially one of her hits, which served to reveal herself in her condition as a woman with a name and surname in the face of silence and what she considered a contempt (which was actually a communication strategy, in the end proven unfortunate) of the socialist Guillermo Fernández Vara, who never mentioned her name when he alluded to her: "That woman who makes opposition" or "the candidate of another party".

The leather jacket that María Guardiola has as a talisman.

It was a slogan that was transferred to all areas because, for example, the mayor of Mérida, Antonio Rodríguez Osuna, also tried to ignore it in this way, without naming it in the campaign when referring to it. However, the new leader of the PP responded to everyone at the rallies, especially her direct opponent, with the lyrics of Rosalía's song 'Say my name'. It was his way of empowering himself, of vindicating himself, and also to link with the campaign story and lash out at socialist policies in Extremadura.

The management of social networks

He went directly to Vara and blurted out: "Say my name and that of all the unemployed"; 'I gave my name, Mr Vara, and that of all those women who are unemployed because Extremadura is the region with the highest female unemployment rate in Spain'; "I gave the name of all those young people who must leave to look for opportunities abroad because they don't have them here"; and "I gave my name and that of the farmers and ranchers who can no longer, and of the self-employed who have had to lower the blind while Guillermo Fernández Vara was in charge."

And social media was burning. Because in the absence of media allies in Extremadura, Guardiola focused his promotion on a very effective management of social networks and trying to occupy, as far as possible, national television. In the first objective, it seeks young people as allies and, in the second, the elderly, especially women in rural areas, decisive in Extremadura. And boy did he succeed.

For women

"Women need to show ourselves, we need references and I think it's time for us to lose our fear, and I don't have it," she repeated ad nauseam in recent months while being criticized on social networks and by the leaders of Vox, with whom she now needs to agree on her investiture, for understanding her social model of coexistence as "that of a woman of the XXI century, of the year 2023".

This is, he explained, the defense of LGTBI groups ("the Government I want to preside over is not going to question who is loved and how they are loved"), laws against sexist violence ("it is a fact and whoever wants to deny it does additional damage to the victims") gender equality ("I want Extremadura to be a benchmark in equality") or the right to abortion ("politics is not to break into these decisions, It is there to give them guarantees and improve their lives, whether they want to be mothers or not") as well as the rights of immigrants ("we cannot criminalize them in a country and in a region that we would not be what we are without it"), among other issues. In short, she clarifies, "I am a woman with character and I do not intend to apologize for it. I've never met a man who does."

Of divorced parents (the first in the city, Cáceres, as soon as the Law was approved in 1981), Guardiola has seen in the mirror of his mother, Dolores, the struggle of women to make their way in life and knows what it is to earn a living from an early age. After studying at the school of Las Carmelitas and before going to university, she gave private lessons in Mathematics to be able to get her driver's license and that same summer she worked as a clerk in Cortefiel and distributing Telefónica directories around the houses to get some savings and help at home.

The Lucky Hunter

If she declares herself a woman of her time, modern, it is not only because of her political ideas or in the conception of her life. It is also in the way of dressing. And one of his symbols in campaign has been a personalized leather jacket and that was made by Juanma Cruz, a designer from Cáceres, whom he has known for many years: "María has always been a very close person and based on her spirited and youthful spirit we put the jacket, inspired by the Montehermoso suit, Handles with floral motifs. In one a bouquet of cherries, evoking the province of Cáceres, and in the other a bunch of acorns, from the province of Badajoz, plus other various drawings, manila shawls, a stork, very typical of Extremadura, and of course her initials, MG, and with the term 'La Extremeña', together with the love and heartbeat she feels for our land. The jacket has become "a talisman", according to the protagonist herself.

The one who will be president of Extremadura with earrings with the Extremadura flag.

And under the jacket has always been placed t-shirts with logos or slogans and messages for the occasion. In the demonstration for the improvement of the train to Madrid, a black one with images of the Simpsons was placed in a passage of the series where a 'Monorail' appeared. On the day of reflection, last Saturday, a white support was put on bullfighting and, specifically, the bullfighter of the land, Emilio de Justo.

María also usually wears accessories from Extremadura stores such as the earrings of 'Chapelet', a store located on Avenida Santa Marina in Badajoz and whose owner, Charo Villard, makes exclusive pieces at prices for any pocket and with very original designs. It was the ones he wore in methacrylate, also with the flag of Extremadura (green, white and black, colors that have always presided over his campaign) in the euphoric celebration of the election night of 28 M. "They have a very original design that has given him luck," says one of his political collaborators.

In short, she says, "I am a normal and brave woman" who has ended up overwhelming, against all odds, in Extremadura, to become an unstoppable phenomenon.

  • Extremadura
  • Autonomous Elections

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Learn more