A week after the start of the campaign for May 12, the electoral race still hasn't taken off. Whether due to the impact of the five days of reflection that President Pedro Sánchez took to elucidate his future or the fact that the candidates have not yet found the key to encourage citizens.
The electoral atmosphere in Catalonia is too relaxed and the streets are not very motivated to vote. And this lack of interest is paradoxical when in the 12-M elections and, according to the polls, none of the parties that are presented are assured of a comfortable majority to form the Government.
There are nine days left to finish the campaign and it will be from today when the parties begin to press the accelerator to convince the undecided. The President of the Government Pedro Sánchez, who burst into the April Fair in Barcelona yesterday by surprise to take a mass bath after announcing that he would continue to lead the Government, will hold a rally today in Sant Boi and on Saturday in Montmeló.
The struggle between PSOE and PP will move to Catalonia this weekend, demonstrating that the Catalan elections are fundamental for the future of the coming months in the Congress of Deputies. Hence, Feijóo has announced, on his part, his presence in three events from Friday to Sunday to support Alejandro Fernández. But this battle that is being fought in Madrid is not just a matter of two and in it, as has been seen so far, Junts will also play a role, which will once again fill buses to Argelers, to celebrate its central event on Saturday, and ERC, which He will do it in Pineda de Mar, the town of Pere Aragonès.
A great electoral display before facing the last week to impact the spirit of citizens who seem to have turned their backs on politicians. This is demonstrated by the latest report from the Center d'Estudis d'Opinió (CEO) with a sample collected in the pre-campaign that shows a clear lack of motivation among the electorate. Only 47% of those surveyed were able to say the exact date of the elections, while a third openly stated that they did not know when they would be held. Furthermore, 78% said that they were following the pre-campaign little or not at all.
It is true that in these first days the focus has been on the outcome of what was happening in Moncloa. But days after Sánchez announced his commitment to remain in office, the candidates remain at the same point and have changed little in his speech. Hence, yesterday's messages from former president Carles Puigdemont – who returned to electoral activity yesterday after the death of his mother – were directed against the president of the Government and the political regeneration that he wants to lead. He had not yet commented on this issue, but yesterday he advised the socialists to start this regeneration through their own party and delved into the black stages of the PSOE such as the GAL.
Also the criticism from the Republicans who, although they assure that they want to start talking about other issues, use Sánchez to attack the leader of the PSC, Salvador Illa, for being “more dedicated to Moncloa than ever.” The Catalan PP follows the same trail in its offensive against the socialist candidate.
During the course of the campaign, the absence of some issues that have caused so many confrontations in the Congress of Deputies, such as the amnesty that will be approved at the end of the month, is surprising. In last Friday's debate between La Vanguardia and RAC1 there were very few references, as well as the self-determination referendum. The star, for now, is financing. It is the issue of this electoral race that generates greater consensus among the parties, although with nuances, many nuances.
