To the north of the region, hidden among hazelnuts and centenary oaks, the small town of Puebla de la Sierra (Madrid) emerges after crossing a winding road. In this municipality, of 66 people registered -in 2019-, the PSOE only garnered a single vote in the last elections.

"It would be confused with the ballot," jokes one of his neighbors, who remembers how they did comment on it then as a curiosity. That socialist candidacy was composed of two people: Manuel Rodríguez González and César Javier Pavón Iglesias, two paratroopers that the current party of Juan Lobato placed, "for putting someone in Puebla de la Sierra", but that nobody in this locality knew.

"They were not from the village, and because they were not registered here, they could not vote for themselves. Nor do we get to see them physically, "says Aurelio Bravo, current mayor – a position he has held for more than 20 years – and candidate to repeat as councilor next 28-M in the lists of the Popular Party.

This politician assumes, with the intention of giving an explanation to that socialist debacle, that "in these towns the person is voted for more than for the parties." "Since nobody knew them or set up tents or gave rallies, nobody was going to vote for them ... In some part it is logical," he weighs.

Even so, and facing this May 28, the PSOE will repeat the formula in Puebla de la Sierra. Again he has placed two other paratroopers, this time women, outside this town to try their luck and try to overcome the results of 2019: María de las Mercedes Martínez Lomas and Victoria Ruiz Pascual.

"Nor are they from the people, nobody knows them... In addition, this time more parties are presented, such as Vox, Cs and another independent... Surely the PSOE repeats with a vote, or maybe not even that. It would be tremendous," says Bravo.

This mayor, optimistic about the future, aspires to repeat the collection of ballots that he harvested in the past elections where "we won by a landslide, as they say." The Popular Party took over the three councilors that are available in Puebla de la Sierra. "But, halfway through the legislature, we have had the misfortune that the deputy mayor, aged 57, died of Covid. She was replaced by a mayor of Podemos, the next most voted party. We don't understand it... It makes proposals and, when budgets have to be voted on, abstains. That they still come out because we are the majority, but it doesn't make any sense."

  • Madrid Elections

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