In search of the lost socialist

Pedro Sánchez arrived in Moncloa against all odds and even against the PSOE.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
09 July 2023 Sunday 11:20
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In search of the lost socialist

Pedro Sánchez arrived in Moncloa against all odds and even against the PSOE. From the moment he ran for power he was seen first as a useful gateway by one part of the party and then as an intruder. Sánchez was not hand-picked or sponsored by anyone. What he achieved was against all odds. His success has given him a legend of indomitable, but also arrogant. And they have called this "sanchismo". His permanent vindication of the acronyms and the history of the PSOE have not prevented him from being scorned by some fellow acronyms, who are waiting for their undoing to cry loudly: "I told you it would lead us to disaster!".

In all parties there are always those who want the leader. It happens to Pedro Sánchez and also to Alberto Núñez Feijóo. But while he rules, or may be about to rule, they wait in silence, or, at length, turn into tolerable dregs. Feijóo has announced that, if he wins the elections, he will appeal to the socialist leaders who do not support his boss to convince the party to vote for his investiture and not have to turn to Santiago Abascal. So that you have no doubt about it and because you are from a generation with a memory, the PP candidate has copied the slogan of change from Felipe González, whom he placed yesterday almost as his political guide, while the insignia ex-president keeps a resounding silence The PP candidate seems to glimpse a juicy bag of votes: that of the lost classic socialist, disoriented by relationships with Gabriel Rufián and Irene Montero, who may long for Felipism, Rubalcabism and even Susanism.

If Feijóo were in a position to go to an investiture and needed the votes of Vox, he would try to put the PSOE in the position of voting for him to avoid the greater evil. But it's not just about making the first cut. What would happen next? Would the socialists be willing to be the parliamentary support of the PP for much of the legislature, give up becoming an alternative and leave the left field free to Yolanda Díaz? Or, once the initial approval was obtained, would Feijóo agree on his policies with Vox in Congress?

But let's not rush, the vote hasn't been taken yet. And today it's face to face.