The Deputy Secretary of Autonomous, Local Coordination and Electoral Analysis of the Partido Popular, Elías Bendodo, has assured this Saturday that the Andalusian elections on May 17 will pit two models against each other: maintaining “the Andalusia that leads Spain” under the Government of Juanma Moreno, or returning to the “socialist Andalusia of corruption”.
Bendodo made these statements during a visit to the Archidona Dog Fair (Málaga), where he was accompanied by the Junta's Minister of Employment, Rocío Blanco, a member of the popular candidacy for Málaga.
Employment, taxes, and management balance
The popular leader vindicated the economic evolution of Andalusia since the arrival of the PP to the regional government in 2019.
According to what he stated, the Executive inherited a community with nearly one million unemployed and that figure has currently been reduced to below 600,000 unemployed.
Although he acknowledged that the data does not allow us to be satisfied, he highlighted the work of the Andalusian Government and the Ministry of Employment to cut unemployment "practically in half".
Bendodo also highlighted the regional deductions in personal income tax promoted by the regional government, including those related to the care of pets, as an example of the PP's fiscal policy.
In his opinion, Andalusians will have to choose between continuing to advance with a community that lowers taxes, creates companies, leads exports, and adds self-employed workers, or returning to the previous model.
Offensive against María Jesús Montero
The popular leader directed a good part of his speech against the socialist candidate for the Junta, María Jesús Montero, whom he accused of being surrounded by the corruption cases affecting the PSOE and the central government.
Bendodo maintained that Montero was not a mere observer, but a “main actress,” recalling her time at the head of the Ministry of Finance and her presidency of the SEPI, an organization that was at the center of several controversies.
Furthermore, he questioned her commitment to Andalusia and assured that she has no real will to preside over the Junta.
“When she doesn’t feel like being there, it shows”, he stated, before defining her as a candidate “out of focus” who, he predicted, will return to Madrid after the elections.
With this, the PP hardens the Andalusian pre-campaign and seeks to turn the 17-M into a plebiscite between continuity and a change of political direction.