The contradiction between what Pablo Iglesias promised in the opposition with the electricity bill and the meteoric rise in its price in the heat of the cold wave and being already in the Government has provided a new opportunity for Vox to continue deepening its strategy to permeate in the most disadvantaged social strata and hit by the crisis.
That it is a large sector of the electorate that intends to contest the left.
Thus, Santiago Abascal's party has gone on the offensive with the aim of snatching that flag from Podemos, wearing it down with its inconsistencies and looking for the disappointed, to run as the new benchmark that promises to lower the receipt.
"Podemos, that great political organization that came to free the Spaniards from the increases in electricity and that, nevertheless, has led from the Government a historical rise in the receipt of 27% and, in general, of energy and supplies basic in the middle of the economic and health crisis and in winter, "urged Vox spokesman
Jorge Buxadé
on Monday
at the beginning of the offensive on the price of electricity and against Podemos.
From there, Vox has intensified its daily criticism of the Government, which it has accused of "abandoning the Spanish" for a mere tax collection interest.
"Four million unemployed, more than 700,000 in ERTE and the Government allows the rise treacherously of electricity and gas in the middle of the greatest cold wave of the century," attacks the party.
In this sense, Vox has presented in
Congress
and the
Senate
batteries of written questions to the Executive to demand responsibilities.
It has also registered an urgent appearance request from the Minister for the Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, to explain the rise in prices in Parliament.
In parallel, Vox has launched to wear down the image of Podemos remembering what they promised.
The party has produced two videos where it compiles old statements by Pablo Iglesias and Irene Montero to highlight the contradiction between what they defended and what is happening now with prices.
"A government that protects the people has to confront the electricity companies. We already need a patriotic government that says that light is a right, that the rights of the people are ahead of great oligarchs," he recalls that Iglesias said, megaphone in hand, in a protest.
Or these other statements from 2014 that are reminiscent of the current moment: "The electricity bill continues its meteoric rise. Politicians with too many interests in common with electricity companies are responsible."
In this offensive on the light, Vox is replicating the style and belligerence that Podemos used against the PP and the PSOE at the time, that is, it is based on fully holding the Government responsible for the current situation, while at the same time opposing a solution simple to the problem.
At the time, Podemos proposed nationalizations of electricity companies and the withdrawal of the alleged "privileges" that they had after having "bought politicians."
What Vox defends now is that the rise in electricity is resolved with a "drastic reduction" in taxes.
It was summarized this week by the president of Vox, Santiago Abascal, who stressed that the reduction of the electricity bill could be achieved "tomorrow" if you wanted but that it is not done "because the more expensive" the electricity is, "the greater is the slice they get "in the Government" through VAT and other taxes. "
"There are millions of people who are going cold, while Sánchez and Iglesias, with the money from that electricity bill, continue to warm each other's seats of power," concluded Abascal.
Vox's approach is that electricity and gas bills have an "excessive tax burden" that triggers the final price paid by citizens.
For this reason, it claims to treat it as a "basic necessity" good and to apply a "drastic reduction" in some rates, such as VAT, or directly the elimination of others to reduce the price.
"70% of the cost of the electricity bill has nothing to do with the cost of energy," said on Wednesday the spokesman for Vox in Congress, Iván Espinosa de los Monteros, who specifically demanded a reduction in VAT because Spain applies 21% when in other countries that percentage is much lower.
"The consequence is that we have the most expensive electricity bill in Europe," he denounced.
According to the criteria of The Trust Project
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Vox
Santiago Abascal Conde
Ivan Espinosa de los Monteros
United we can
We can
Pablo Iglesias
Politics A GAD3 poll places the PP at 13 seats in the PSOE and places Podemos with 15 fewer deputies
SIGMA DOS survey Casado is less than three points behind Sánchez with Podemos in decline
Sigma Dos (and VI) Survey Two-thirds of Spaniards believe the management of the health crisis is ineffective
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