Alberto Núñez Feijóo has taken advantage of the protests registered in France to launch a new attack against the left. During an event held this Monday in Madrid, the leader of the PP assured that "the violence that the radical left is encouraging is never the way to improve a nation," an accusation with which he linked the disturbances in the neighboring country to his political adversaries.
Feijóo has asked Spaniards to turn away from that supposed path and has defended that citizen discontent should be expressed "at the polls". However, his intervention has been marked by a discourse against the left, while the popular leader presents himself as an alternative based on truth, law, and unity.
The event also served to present his 'Contract with Spain', a document with twelve commitments that he promises to fulfill if he reaches La Moncloa after the elections on November 29. Feijóo has assured that his intention is not only to achieve a change of Government to replace Pedro Sánchez, but to open a new political stage.
Feijóo promises truth while using France to attack the left
"My greatest ambition is to ensure that a president's word once again has value," affirmed the leader of the PP, who also defended that citizens "deserve a President of the Government who always tells them the truth." Feijóo has presented this promise as one of the pillars of his political project, although he has used images from France to launch accusations against the radical left.
The popular leader insisted that "there is nothing more transformative than the free and democratic will of a people asking for change" and maintained that Spain needs "more and better democracy." His words, however, once again placed political confrontation at the center of his discourse, by attributing to the left the responsibility for encouraging violence in France.
In this way, the president of the PP has combined his promises of political regeneration with a message of confrontation towards his adversaries. The presentation of his electoral contract has thus been accompanied by a warning about the supposed danger of following the path of the left, without providing concrete evidence during the event to support that accusation.
Albares condemns the disturbances and differentiates violence from the right to protest
Facing Feijóo's speech, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, has condemned the violent episodes recorded in France, but has distinguished between violent acts and the right of citizens to demonstrate and go on strike. In statements to Telecinco, he affirmed that in the neighboring country "there is a violence that is unbearable and totally condemnable".
Albares has defended that the violent actions of a minority should not be confused with the demands of those who legitimately exercise their right to protest. His response introduces a nuance into the debate opened by Feijóo, who has used images from France to directly point to the radical left.
The minister has also ruled out that the Government fears these episodes will be reproduced in Spain. As he explained, the Spanish Executive's reforms have been carried out through dialogue with social agents, a path he has defended against the scenario of tension that France is experiencing.
