Although the PSOE acknowledges it needs to make a calm analysis about what happened in Andalusia, the party denies there is any reason for concern in the face the next general election. Felip Sicilia was the party’s executive spokesperson. This meeting was one of the longest in recent years. He said that although there hasn’t been one “critical” voice, there have been “continuous calls around about the need to reflect on why it hasn’t been possible to mobilize voters>>.
There is currently no clear answer to this question. It seems that the lack of drive that led the Andalusian PSOE’s worst ever result – 30 seats and 883 707 votes – had nothing to do the Executive of Pedro Sanchez. Juan Espadas, his candidate, has “lacked the time” to explain his project despite having been elected in primaries last year with Ferraz’s support. Even Sicilia has said that “The Government management is the best guarantee that socialists have”.
According to his spokesperson, the head of the Executive has sent a similar message directly to the PSOE leadership. He stated that “He has come out to say that the Government has been strong, solid, and that there is a legislature up to the end, and that all he has to do now is show that he cares about the concerns of the citizens, which was to solve the problem caused by the Ukraine war.”
Sicilia also pointed out a different direction that has nothing to do with PSOE. He argued that the division in his space to his right – the Por Andalucia alliance that has Yolanda Diz as a reference, and Teres Rod’s Adelante Andalucia to his left-hand – has benefited popular, who were the ones who took the seats that settle (applied D’hont law’s distribution system).
Adriana Lastra (deputy secretary general), who did not even congratulate him for his victory and blamed his success on the Government of Spain’s “huge resources” to combat the pandemic, has now been recognized by Sicily as the victor. She has questioned whether the victory implies a strengthening of the national PP. “If it was the campaign in which the acronyms were seen the least, they’ve hardly allowed national leaders to take part and Feijoo has only co-operated in one act with Juanma Moreno,” he said and alluded the Andalusian popular strategy, very similar to those used in Galicia today by the leader of the main opposition party.
The socialists don’t admit to it, at least not publicly, that Vox was stopped by the popular ones. This is partly due to Moreno’s ability to attract votes both from the right and from Cs, as well as from abstention or the left. According to polls before 19-J. He claimed that there was no transfer and that there was a clear abstention, despite the fact that participation is almost two points higher than 2018, when the Socialists achieved their worst result but won the elections.
It is unlikely that there will be a quick or local response to the disaster. Sanchez has made it clear that he doesn’t want an organic battle two parliamentary sessions into next electoral cycle. He has also sent clear signals that Juan Espadas must remain at the helm the once powerful Andalusian Federation. Sicilia stated that Juan Espadas must pursue a responsible, constructive and serious policy that serves the citizens’ interests. We are confident that this work will help us recover the Government in future elections.
It is not clear if Sanchez will follow the same movement that he used last year to overcome the bump in May 4th elections in the Community of Madrid. His party was forced to accept another serious defeat and will be reshaping his Government. They insist that Sanchez is the only person who knows the answer, despite rumors that this scenario continues.
