• Elections 28-M Villacís presents a list where only four of its 10 councilors repeat: "There are people who disappear in bad times"

"At the moment, Ciudadanos has immense power in the Madrid City Council. We make more sense than ever." With these words, the deputy mayor of the capital, Begoña Villacís, addressed yesterday afternoon to the students of the master's degrees in Journalism and in Investigative Journalism, Data and Visualization of EL MUNDO.

During a meeting he held with a group of students, he spoke of the situation that his party is experiencing in the face of the municipal and regional elections, and assured that they are going "to life or death". He said that the only option that exists so that in Madrid parties do not win, such as Podemos or VOX, is Ciudadanos. "Of all the political groups that are presented, mine can ensure that such an open, plural and cosmopolitan city does not fall into the hands of the extremes. Citizens is necessary," he said.

Villacís has all the expectations placed on the 28M and considers the next elections "essential and with possibilities". "If I didn't believe it," he added, "I wouldn't have run again. I can want to continue doing justice," he said.

When asked about the flight of councilors from Citizens, the deputy mayor stressed that "they have only been two of 11" and described it as "human", being a party with less expectations of vote. Regarding the new list, he pointed out that it is "better and necessary" in a society that he considers centrist. "90% of citizens agree with what Ciudadanos says, but we are a two-party society. But nothing is written forever. Everything can change and it will end up doing so," he said. As for the general elections, he commented that what happens in Madrid will influence whether the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, continues or not in the Moncloa.

On bipartisanship, he said that: "The bad thing is conformism and its radicalization," and added that from the center "you can get to double the pulse to an entire PSOE or a whole PP.

VIllacís confessed to the students of the master's degrees in Journalism and in Investigative Journalism, Data and Visualization of EL MUNDO that he learned from the media that he was going to the primaries of 2015, and he could not and did not want to turn back. "I showed up with great enthusiasm. I thought that in Spain we needed a more representative party of our generation. I still had no idea what politics was," he confessed. Eight years have passed since that and he still believes that people, before going into politics, must have been in civil society to be aware of what is happening. "Only in this way can you fucionado with arguments and contribute something in politics," he said. She remembered that, of all the teammates and rivals there were when she started, only she remains. "Some were political animals, like Esperanza Aguirre, but here nothing is forever. In the most unusual way, everything can change," he said.

Before saying goodbye, the deputy mayor of Madrid did not miss the opportunity to talk to journalism students about the professional relationship that politicians and reporters must maintain, as well as the importance of their future profession. "Journalism is one of the most important professions on which democracy depends," concluded the deputy mayor of the capital.

  • Citizenry
  • Begoña Villacís Sánchez

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