The minister Óscar Puente has responded harshly to the Popular Party's attempt to downplay Mariano Rajoy's words about the French national team. After Genoa defended the former president and attributed his comment to a supposed "sarcastic" tone, the Minister of Transport has accused the popular party of systematically protecting their own regardless of the seriousness of each controversy.
"The PP would close ranks with Jack the Ripper if he were a member of the PP. They did it with Bárcenas, with Mazón... they're not going to do it with Rajoy, who has done nothing more than express what they all think!", Puente wrote in response to the information about the support offered by the popular leadership.
El PP cerraría filas con Jack el destripador si militase en el PP. Lo hicieron con Bárcenas, con Mazón…, ¡no lo van a hacer con Rajoy, que no ha hecho más que expresar lo que todos ellos piensan! https://t.co/Ajp9m9pefg
— Óscar Puente (@oscar_puente_) July 13, 2026
The reply summarizes the political clash that opened after Rajoy stated in a column about the World Cup that the French team has a "very high level" squad, although "without Frenchmen". The phrase has provoked accusations of racism and xenophobia both in Spain and France because it questions the national belonging of players who hold French citizenship and who, for the most part, were born in the country itself.
The PP turns racism into supposed sarcasm
Borja Sémper closed ranks this Monday with Rajoy and denied that his words contained any racist component. The national spokesman for the PP maintains that the former president's columns are usually written with a "sarcastic" tone and that the comment was made "without ill intent."
"To play for the French national team, you have to be French. It's common sense," Sémper assured, who tried to reduce the episode to a sporting defense of Spain before the World Cup semifinal. He also stated that Rajoy's observations are comments "in favor of Spain" to which no other interpretation should be given.
The data dismantles the initial insinuation. Twenty-three of the 26 footballers called up by France were born on French territory. The other three also hold French nationality and are part of the national team with the same rights as any of their teammates. The French Embassy in Madrid has recalled this reality in response to a phrase that identifies what is French with a certain family origin or skin color.
Puente had already attacked the former Prime Minister over the weekend, when he accused him of having abandoned any appearance of moderation and pointed out the reactionary undertone of his article. His new message now focuses on Génova's reaction and on a way of closing ranks that, in his opinion, is repeated every time a prominent PP figure gets caught in a controversy.
The reference to Luis Bárcenas points to the support the former treasurer received for years while investigations into the slush fund (caja B) and the party's irregular financing advanced. The mention of Carlos Mazón refers to the political protection he was given by the national leadership of the PP during the successive controversies over his actions in the Valencian DANA. With Rajoy, Puente believes that Génova has once again followed the same corporate reflex.
France demands a rectification that Feijóo avoids
The controversy has already crossed the Spanish border. The French Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nuñez, has described Rajoy's words as "absolutely unacceptable" and has claimed a Republic in which any citizen can find their place. Socialist, communist, and French center-right leaders have also denounced the racist nature of the comment.
The president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, has spoken of an "intolerable whiff of racism", while several members of the French Executive have rejected that the identity of the players be put under suspicion due to their family roots. The controversy has forced the Spanish Government to convey to Paris that Rajoy's opinion does not represent Spain.
José Manuel Albares has asked Alberto Núñez Feijóo to publicly disavow the former president and has reiterated that no expression that conceals racism or xenophobia can represent the country. Pedro Sánchez has also responded with a message addressed to France, recalling that belonging is not measured by surname, place of birth, or skin color.
"Spain belongs to those who love it and work for it. Not to those who shame it with xenophobic statements," wrote the head of the Executive before wishing that in the semifinal "the best wins and racism loses."
Feijóo continues not to disavow Rajoy. The popular leadership has chosen to present the episode as a sports joke and attack Sánchez for his institutional agenda, while Spain and France prepare for the semifinal they will play this Tuesday.
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