The return of the "moderate" from the PP after cancer: "I rebel against extremism"

MadridTen months ago, Borja Sémper announced that he had just been diagnosed with cancer. During this time, the illness has kept him away from political activity. This Tuesday, the popular spokesperson has officially returned. Sémper starred in a packed press breakfast in Madrid, where, amidst expressions of affection, he wanted to "bid farewell to this difficult stage" during which his "vital compass coordinates" have changed. The PP leader had already reappeared in some media and this Monday rejoined the party's steering committee. Next week, he himself will appear at the weekly press conference in Génova. However, Sémper wanted to hold this event with the specific objective of speaking openly about his pancreatic cancer so that he could stop talking about it.

"I don't want my condition as a cancer patient to define me. Illness is part of life," said Sémper, who argued that it is necessary to "talk about it naturally" and without "euphemisms," although, now that he has overcome it and is medically cleared, he wants to turn the page and return to public life without this label. The PP spokesperson's intervention, in fact, has already generated political debate beyond this issue. The reason, the harshness with which he spoke about Vox amidst the pacts his party is currently closing with the far-right. Sémper, one of the PP leaders described as "moderate," lamented "the rise of toxic and harmful radical policies" and stated that he will not participate "in circuses, insults, or mud." "I rebel against the rules of the game that extremists set for us," he concluded.

In this regard, Sémper has put Vox and the Spanish government in the same category, criticizing heated statements recently made by both Santiago Abascal and minister Óscar Puente. At the same time, the popular spokesperson has stayed on message from Génova and has closed ranks regarding agreements with Vox, accusing them of making "erroneous, mistaken, and self-interested readings" of the "national priority" concept agreed upon in Extremadura and Aragón. However, he also made it clear that, for him, "the true national priority" should be "building housing" and has rejected the formulas of both the left and the far-right —"which even goes against the Catholic Church"— regarding immigration.

"We missed him"

An emotional Alberto Núñez Feijóo was in charge of introducing him to an audience made up mostly of PP members, but also former officials from other parties such as Albert Rivera, from Cs, or Ander Gil, from the PSOE. "Politics missed me and I must say that I missed it too," stated the popular leader, who defended Sémper against those who rightly criticize his moderation. He also highlighted the vision with which he returns after going through this personal ordeal, with a delicate comparison. "Whoever has faced terrorism and cancer without them being able to defeat him, how will he not face the political future of this country with hope?" he posed, referring to the Basque-born politician being "a victim of ETA". Another condition that Sémper said he also does not want to define him, even though it is a recurring theme in PP speeches.

The intervention of the now reinstated popular spokesperson, who confessed to "having had some temptation to withdraw" during his leave, ended with a vitalistic message. "Don't consider yourselves immortal, get medical check-ups, surround yourselves with good people, and let's be happy, because time sometimes presses on."