Elma Saiz, Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migrations and Government spokesperson, accused Alberto Núñez Feijóo this Tuesday of "fostering hatred" for holding Pedro Sánchez responsible for the disturbances recorded in Barcelona and Bilbao. The spokesperson called for prudence and asked for the security forces to be allowed to work on the open investigations.
At the press conference after the Council of Ministers, Saiz focused on the institutional response and avoided fueling unverified hypotheses. "Never" can "hatred be fostered", she stressed, while condemning the "vandalic and violent acts" recorded in recent days.
Moncloa downplays conjectures and transfers the investigation to Mossos and Ertzaintza
Government sources indicate that the cases are already in the hands of the Mossos d'Esquadra in Catalonia and the Ertzaintza in Bilbao, while investigations continue to clarify the origin of the violent actions. In parallel, the Executive assures that digital companies show good disposition to track calls disseminated on social networks.
The Government also admits that it was surprised by the first protests, although it states that there are devices prepared for a possible extension of the altercations to other parts of Spain. In Barcelona, the concentration had permission to protest the situation of public education, but it led to acts of vandalism, an evolution that is now being investigated as a possible cover to provoke disturbances.
The PP intensifies the pre-campaign while the Government sees a wear and tear maneuver
Saiz contrasted that call for responsibility with the statements of the PP leader, who on Sunday in Salamanca linked Sánchez with the incidents and maintained that, if the socialists "have lost the street", they want to "set it on fire". The minister replied that "some of us are responsible, others with some statements are not", without expressly citing him in that part of her speech.
In the Executive, they believe that the PP is trying to shift the focus of the pre-campaign from housing and pensions to this issue, after Feijóo stated this Tuesday in Madrid that he will guarantee "order and security" if he reaches Moncloa. In that same event, the number two on the list for Congress, Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo, attributed to Sánchez "his own kale borroka", an accusation that the Government considers "an outrage".
Socialists insist that citizens do not like to see their representatives "fostering hatred" and interpret the PP's offensive as a nervous reaction to the "smiles, dances, and kisses" campaign that Sánchez is exhibiting. For now, the Executive maintains the message of strong condemnation and leaves pending the progress of investigations into the origin of the disturbances.
