Extremadura, first electoral 'round'

MadridAmid Christmas lights and soaring consumption – each person to the level they can afford, of course – Spain is preparing to begin a month-long period of collective anesthesia, with one major exception: Extremadura, where [something] has already begun a very interesting electoral marathon. We don't know when the next general election will be, but we have many reasons to believe that, once it's held, nothing will be the same.

As things have gone since the 2023 elections, it's hard to believe the electoral map can remain as it is. There will be several voices promoting the idea of change, some to the right, others to the left, but we'll hardly find supporters of continuing as we are. I'm not saying the PSOE has to necessarily lose the precarious position it has held in this legislature. If there isn't an earthquake, Pedro Sánchez will be his party's candidate and will fight to stay in power. However, the general mood has little to do with the times when the Socialists could string together victories practically without even getting off the bus. This was the case in Extremadura, where the PSOE governed for almost three decades uninterrupted, from 1983 to 2011.

Look at the expectations of the Extremaduran socialists now, who, to liven up their campaign, have had to resort to a mythical figure of the organization, from this community from the aforementioned 1983 until 2007, when he was replaced by Guillermo Fernández Vara. dead last OctoberRodríguez Ibarra, regional president for almost a quarter of a century, achieved unparalleled electoral results, with nearly 50% of the vote. That's why they've brought him back and are pushing him out in the elections on the 21st. And also because with the current party leader in Extremadura, Miguel Ángel Gallardo, they can't go too far.

In principle, The socialist candidate will take his place in the dock on February 9th. Alongside David Sánchez, brother of the regional president, who was allegedly hired irregularly by the Badajoz Provincial Council—chaired by Gallardo—to serve as coordinator of activities for the music conservatories. In two months, both will have to answer for, among other things, the alleged crimes of administrative misconduct and influence peddling.

The candidate's capacity

Gallardo, in fact, had a very tough pre-campaign. This was partly because he managed to obtain parliamentary immunity as a regional deputy at the last minute, when it was already known that he would have to go to trial. The High Court of Justice of Extremadura, however, rejected this immunity, considering that he had obtained it through "fraudulent use of the law." In any case, he can now raise the issue again once he is elected as a member of the Extremadura Parliament. Whichever court tries him—the Provincial Court or the aforementioned High Court—the fact is that he is now asking for votes on the eve of a highly politically charged trial. As in the case of former Attorney General Álvaro García Ortiz, The main objective of the accusations is not so much to secure the conviction of the accused as to use this tactic to further erode Pedro Sánchez's popularity.

The president of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, never tires of saying that his rival is surrounded by corruption. And to support this claim, he always cites the criminal case opened against David Sánchez and the ongoing proceedings against Begoña Gómez, the wife of the Spanish Prime Minister. Feijóo mentions the familial relationship as a highly significant aggravating factor, although there is considerably more tangible evidence related to it. in the Cerdán-Ábalos-Koldo triangleThis is a matter of particular importance, given the prominent role the first two played as close collaborators of Pedro Sánchez, both before and after he arrived at La Moncloa.

Salazar and Mazón

Given this situation, the only thing missing for the PSOE was for it to implode. the Francisco Salazar matter, The former head of institutional coordination has been accused of sexual harassment by two women, both socialist activists, who worked at the palace, the seat of the government. The socialist leadership is being criticized for its months-long inaction after the complaint was filed with the party's governing bodies. This case could have serious consequences for the socialists, potentially damaging the organization's credibility due to the contradiction between public pronouncements and actions taken in reality, especially when a specific incident occurs, particularly one involving a leader with internal power within the party. In this context of a battle in the lead-up to a general election, whenever it may be held, it is understandable that both Sánchez and Feijóo have launched their campaigns. However, while the PSOE faces the challenge of all the issues we have discussed, the PP is also in a very difficult situation. Mazón continues to cause headaches for his party, while news about healthcare management under the PP government in the Community of Madrid is chilling. This is especially true after the Andalusian healthcare scandal regarding breast cancer screenings.

If we have to talk about credibility, what prospects can healthcare management have in the hands of a party that has been able to coexist with practices such as those that stem from wanting to subject patient care to the desire to obtain economic benefits? as in the Torrejón HospitalFeijóo has quickly come out to highlight the responsibilities, not only administrative, of this type of conduct. But the damage has already been done. And equally, if not more, serious is the complaint from hospital workers themselves, that they received instructions to reuse disposable medical supplies.

If there are concrete harmful consequences from actions of this kind, then we can speak of criminal conduct. Given the scenario described, we shouldn't be surprised that the polls predict a clear rise for Vox in the newly begun electoral cycle. It's not Junts that is causing the main problem for them in the government. Nor is the PP a victim of the far right's cunning. María Guardiola, the PP candidate for Extremadura, shot herself in the foot by her own party when it forced her to form a coalition with Vox after the last regional elections, a mistake she is still paying for.