Spain's Sánchez bets on housing as Feijóo plans big Madrid rally
Spain's campaign for the Nov. 29 snap election is under way. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez opened his pitch by putting housing at the center and asking for a broader progressive majority. Conservative leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo has set his first big rally for Saturday in Madrid.
Spain's two main parties are off and running toward a snap election on Nov. 29.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez opened his campaign in the same speech in which he called the election, according to an analysis in Demócrata. He defended his record and blamed the opposition for blocking social progress. He then asked voters for a broader progressive majority and said he plans to win again.
Housing is the heart of his pitch. Rents and home prices have angered many Spaniards, including many on the left who feel let down by his government. Sánchez is trying to turn that anger into votes, the analysis said. It said he will want to keep the focus on housing and away from other issues, such as Ceuta or pending court cases. His Socialist Party said he will hold his first campaign event in Dos Hermanas, near Seville, a longtime Socialist stronghold.
The conservative People's Party, or PP, is planning its own show of strength. Leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo will hold his first major rally at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Ifema fairgrounds in Madrid, Demócrata reported. That is two days before Spain's National Day parade, also in Madrid. Feijóo will head the PP's list for Congress in Madrid. Regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso and Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida will stand beside him.
Feijóo is also building his team. Ester Muñoz, the PP's spokesperson in Congress, will be the campaign's spokesperson, and Alma Ezcurra will write the party's platform, El Constitucional reported. Feijóo was set to announce both picks on Thursday to the party's national executive committee in Madrid. Party secretary general Miguel Tellado is seen as the likely campaign director, though that has not been announced.
The PP mocked the Socialists' plans. Party sources dared Sánchez to bring former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero to his rally. Feijóo will travel to every region of Spain during the race, party sources told Europa Press.
The PP had demanded an election for more than two years, calling the parliament "dead." After Sánchez announced the vote on Monday, Feijóo said "finally" a date had been set.
What we know: The vote is Nov. 29, and both leaders have launched their campaigns.
What we don't: Whether Sánchez's focus on housing can win back disappointed voters on the left.
Where outlets agree Demócrata and El Constitucional both report that the PP is gearing up for the Nov. 29 general election, with Feijóo leading the campaign from Madrid.
Where they differ Sánchez frames the vote around housing and blocked reforms, while the PP says the parliament was already dead and has pushed for an election for two years.