The newspaper library is very cruel. No politician resists a dive into statements from the past. The difference lies in the frequency of these inconsistencies, whether they are distant in time or recent, and whether or not they affect important issues. It must be recognized that rescuing those contradictions is very juicy for a journalist. And the viewer is delighted to see how the interviewee sweats to justify the twists in his convictions. The curious thing is that it is the politicians themselves who delve into the rectifications of their rivals, knowing that they will go through the same pill. This electoral campaign is being a festival of self-amendments.
José María Aznar won the elections with the slogan Felipe González equal to “unemployment, waste and corruption”. Over and over again, the leader of the PP insisted on that tiresome idea that he effectively permeated at the moment of greatest decline and decomposition of that socialist government. Alberto Núñez Feijóo has coined the expression "repeal sanchismo", which he identifies with the "lies" of Pedro Sánchez, who in his day marked distances with ERC and Bildu to later turn them into parliamentary allies.
Sánchez disdained for years the mantra of "sanchismo" (adopted first by Ciudadanos and then by the PP) because he did not believe that it would have an effect, until he ended up coming to the fore to "dismantle" it. In this effort, he has argued that he did not lie, but rather rectified or changed his mind when considering that the objectives (the legislative agenda and appeasement in Catalonia) were more important than that initial declaration of principles.
The PP also changes its mind. María Guardiola did it in Extremadura. In an implacable way for her reputation, since the popular leader had walked through the media exhibiting firmness of principle only a few days ago. She swallowed this toad: "My word is not as important as the future of Extremadura." Guardiola was going to act as a counterweight to Carlos Mazón's generosity with Vox in Valencia, but she went too far and irritated many in the PP. After these two agreements and the one in the Balearic Islands, all that remains is to know the outcome in Aragon and Murcia. It is easy for Jorge Azcón to assume part of the far-right program without entering the Government, while in Murcia a repeat election is likely (the PP is two seats away from an absolute majority). At this point we already have outlined the playing field on which Feijóo and Santiago Abascal could negotiate.
If we extrapolate this framework to the general ones, it is concluded that, only if Feijóo obtains a result that requires an abstention from Vox, would he prevent this formation from entering the Government. And, in any case, he will have to assume Abascal's programmatic demands with a strong ideological component and that affect the core of civil rights. And another conclusion: his party is going to squeeze him so that he does not dawdle or resist too much the embrace with Vox.
The other "change of opinion" of the popular refers to the labor reform. After predicting that it would lead to a massive destruction of jobs, the PP now accepts it as good. Feijóo rectified in Brussels, where European funds have been conditioned to that rule. But in addition, the employers have made it clear to the PP leadership that they do not want the labor reform to be substantially touched.
The PP also rectified the law on abortion deadlines or homosexual marriage. Perhaps the big difference is that Sánchez's changes of opinion are related to the territorial conflict, with the unity of Spain, a more sensitive matter for the right and for many voters than any other issue.
Politicians change their minds, rectify, retrace their steps and yes, sometimes they lie. Lies are rampant everywhere today and there are even studies that ensure that we are more likely to believe hoaxes than the truth. In any case, lying implies the awareness of deceiving others and, as such, it is sustained against all odds. Changes of opinion should be able to be argued for – and even welcomed – without being stoned for it.
