• Barometer The CIS of Tezanos reduces to just over two points the distance between PSOE and PP

The Luis Adaro fairground in Gijón is a kind of talisman for the PSOE, for the Asturian socialists. They say that whenever they hold a campaign rally in this complex "it brings us luck, there is a good result." In search of that positive omen traveled this Wednesday Pedro Sanchez. The President of the Government has starred in the PSOE campaign with a cascade of announcements that began on April 16. But the celebration on Tuesday, May 23, of the last Council of Ministers before the municipal and regional elections of May 28 has left the socialist leader's campaign orphaned of measures. With no option for his Cabinet to approve initiatives before the elections, he focuses his message on Health, on presenting his party as the guarantor of public health, public services. "Voting for the PSOE is voting for Public Health", is the message.

Sánchez started at the municipal convention of the PSOE in Valencia, on April 16, a strategy to mark the entire pre-campaign and the electoral campaign of advertisements and millionaire investments that then every Tuesday approved the Council of Ministers. The starting gun was the anticipation of a plan to mobilize up to 50,000 homes of the Sareb for safe rent. The last one, last Sunday, an investment of 38.5 million for mental health. And this Monday he anticipated the approval on Tuesday of the law of equal representation and balanced presence of men and women in decision-making bodies, which also affects constitutional bodies of the State such as the Constitutional Court, the General Council of the Judiciary or the Council of State, among others.

The PSOE focused its campaign on initiatives in Housing first, then in Education and in the last stretch in Health. In between, investments in infrastructure have also increased sixfold. Sánchez himself has referred to the criticism he has received for these ads: "They say I look like a multi-ad. We do not announce, we publish in the BOE".

But this Tuesday, May 23, the last Council of Ministers was held before 28-M. And that cascade of ads has slowed down. Neither Tuesday nor Wednesday have there been any announcements. The message focuses on asking for the vote and identifying the PSOE as the party of progress and social rights. For this, Sánchez exhibited in Gijón measures such as the revaluation of pensions, the increase in the minimum wage, investments in Health, the commitment to Mental Health ... "We have not wasted time and the legislature of difficulties we have turned into that of rights, progress and social peace ". A message that contrasts with the "cuts" and the "neoliberal response" that, he wields, gave the PP in the previous economic crisis.

"A tombola"

Some announcements that have not been consulted or agreed with the United We can wing of the Government. This has generated discomfort and criticism among the purple, who have not hesitated to censure many of the measures, even describing some of them, especially those related to housing, as "infumables" or "expired" measures. Just this week, Yolanda Díaz told Sánchez about her announcements of millionaire investments for mental health and primary care centers: Public health "defends itself every day not only with electoral ads."

In the purple sector of the Government has not liked this campaign approach of Sánchez because they consider "it has seemed like a tombola". His diagnosis is that the cascade of ads "distorted them. They haven't managed to get any of them to become a campaign issue." "They have taken measures in a hurry without hitting the key, without reaching people's hearts." Moreover, from Podemos, from the Ministry of Social Rights piloted by Ione Belarra, contacted the Presidency, with Minister Felix Bolaños, to try to agree and arrange ads that "mark the campaign" and could make both profitable. But the PSOE maintained its roadmap of monopolizing the ads.

Not only has it been substantiated that Sánchez has monopolized the ads, has taken the prominence of the campaign, but for a month and a half, since the President of the Government began to shell in the socialist rallies initiatives that days later approved the Council of Ministers, only socialist ministers have appeared in La Moncloa. They are the ones who have monetized the ads. April 11 was the last appearance of a purple minister: it was Yolanda Díaz, who came out with the spokeswoman, Isabel Rodríguez, and the head of Education, Pilar Alegría, to present the Integral Law of Promotion of the Social Economy.

The socialist strategy in this final stretch focuses on seeking the vote of the moderates and even, as the president of the Principality and socialist candidate, Adrián Barbón, said, the vote of "the disenchanted of the PP". Sánchez champions the message: "Those who are hesitating between going to vote or not, who are not clear who to vote for, I ask them: 'Does voting really matter?' I think so, because with the vote we have shown that the minimum wage can be raised, pensions can be revalued, public hospitals can be built ...", he said at an event attended by Adriana Lastra, former number 2 of the PSOE, and with whom Sánchez wanted to have an express mention for the "support in difficult times".

In the act, Barbón has called to disassociate the elections of 28-M from the "national key". "Sometimes I have the feeling that some people get confused about elections, they think they are general. These elections are about many mayors and regional deputies. These elections are about electing mayors and the president of Asturias."

And he has taken the opportunity to claim his autonomy and independence from Madrid, from Ferraz, to have a voice of his own. "Of course we agree on many things with the Government of Spain, but when there are discrepancies we also say them. You chose me in Asturias. I can defend the interests of Asturias freely because I have been a socialist since I was 17 years old and an Asturian since I was born. And if there is a discrepancy my priority is Asturias, I will always defend Asturias, "he proclaimed before a standing capacity.

  • Asturias
  • Pedro Sanchez
  • PSOE
  • Politics
  • Autonomous Elections
  • Municipal Elections

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