23 Feb The general interest and Pedro Sánchez’s interest
A new visit to Valencia by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is announced and, again, the motivation is self-interest and not a public interest. Maybe because this Madrid-born from Tetuán that has reached the skies of national politics through the back door, he is unsure of an essential concept of the political sciences that identifies with the entire social common good as a social body, and not so much with the State’s interest in itself. Least of all with self-interest.
It feels like Pedro Sánchez only comes to Valencia to enjoy concerts in the Benicàssim International Festival, bestow medals on former socialist ministers, or to take part in the proclamation announcement of Sandra Gómez as a socialist candidate to the capital’s mayoralty. These events have little to nothing to do with the public interest in contrast with the Government’s intervention which is of importance to this public interest and which has cut back on transfers, maintained highways’ payment, still doesn’t offer a solution to our economy’s underfunding, and concluded the year with constraints on the Valencian Champagne’s growth. Not to mention the fact that there was no mention of investments, almost like when Pedro and his team went to Barcelona for the mini-peak.
The sad thing is that at the end of the day, the news will be how Pedro Sánchez has come to Valencia rather than what he has done for his citizens. And you know, I actually don’t care how he has come, because if security services give priority to private air transport for the Prime Minister and The Royal Family’s trips, none of us should doubt their criterion. They are professionals and as such, they are the ones who have to assess the adequacy of this means of transportation.
Surely it sounds odd enough that Pedro Sánchez needs a Falcón, an Airbus, and a helicopter Puma to travel to Valladolid to the Hispanic-Portuguese summit. And that Rajoy could make a similar trip alternating the Airbus, road transportation, and by boat, considering that security professionals don’t switch between governments.
The reasons security gives lose even more credibility when from Moncloa they allege that the previous Prime Minister didn’t travel by helicopter because of fear –we must remember the occurrence of Mariano and Esperanza-, while in Sánchez’s case, he has no problems with air transportation, which facilitates compliance with Security’s department’s recommendations.
As a matter of fact, we don’t know how Sánchez will travel down to Valencia this weekend. If he will use the Falcon 9008, the Airbus 310, or one of the helicopters Puma he has lately acquired a taste to or if he will arrive by AVE or by official car in a political containment gesture. What is sure is that he will do it in an official caravan equipped with police sirens, to emerge with his black glasses like a real rock star from the ‘80s. A shoddy imitation, between a black-haired John Fitzgerald Kennedy, from whom he copied his suit-and-tie combination, not to mention the tragicomedy of the failed attempt; and Barack’s Obama casual-gestural style but with less flow.
The thing is that, in another contradiction out of all the contradictions we are so accustomed to from the Prime Minister and his team, he comes to our land to anoint Sandra so the socialist Holy Spirit descends upon her, qualifying her to carry out the holy design for which she has been chosen; to save cap I casal’s socialism from a death foretold. And I don’t have memories of another similar visit in a long time.
The act will be held in the sports complex located in Cabanyal-Canyamelar from València, with the expectation that José Luís Ábalos, PSOE’s Ministry of Development and secretary of Organization, attends it as well, along with other Federal Executive’s politicians. An environment that Sandra Gómez tried to own this week with colorists phrases such as “They will never get their hands on Cabanyal-Canyamelar” referring to the one she thinks her political rival María José Català (PP), without realizing that her true rivals are the ones she shares her table with in the mayoralty, the others –PP, Cs, Vox, Poble Democràtic… – are opponents. A subtle difference.
If this is the political regeneration blessed by the Messiah Pedro Sánchez, we Valencians are in trouble. And a dark future awaits Valencia’s PSPV. Neither Gómez nor Catalá seems to have their own discourse. If the only political message is to cry wolf, we already know how the character of the tale ended up. Alone.
In an election campaign – especially when there are still several months left to its official advent – candidates are expected to be propositional and put forward proposals, to talk about doing things and not about what they won’t let others do… Surely that’s the political baton Sánchez brings to València and that Puig prefers not to take up in public.
But we’re not talking about Gómez, but about Sánchez. And about his interpretation of the basic principles in political management. In the administration of a country, in general terms, the concept of “public interest” refers to the actions carried out by the government for the benefit of everyone. It is the same as social interest, of public interest, or community usefulness.
And I don’t find any of those in Pedro Sánchez’s visit. A new affront to Valencia citizens because those from Central Executive haven’t bothered in pushing forward a President’s meeting agenda neither with the representatives of Valencia civil society nor with the institutions that are relevant in order to tackle investments and action plans in Alicante, Castellón, and València, maybe because he lacks the aforementioned. Or maybe because it is Sunday.
I’ll be clearer. It’s a shame that Pedro Sánchez finds room in his agenda to support Valencia mayoral candidate but not to meet, for example, the representatives of Plataforma per un Finançament Just (Platform for a Fair Funding) or to hold a meeting with business associations representative of our autonomy.
Gabriel García Márquez used to say that if God hadn’t rested on Sunday, he would have had time to finish creating the world. To think oneself to be God doesn’t warrant resting on a Sunday. And the concept of public interest does not necessarily or directly involve the interest of every individual in a society. At least Felipe González claimed to have -and re-read- the Quixote in his bedside table. Sánchez is happy with an iPod to listen to The Killers.