The general secretary of PSOE-A and candidate for the Presidency of the Junta de Andalucía, María Jesús Montero, has defended this Sunday in Gibraleón (Huelva) that her party is "the only real alternative to the dismantling of the public" and that the PSOE-A "will rescue healthcare" in the community. Faced with the PP's message, which "says they want the vote to have stability," she has stressed that stability "is not a blank check" and that it is based on "public services, to make equality of opportunity possible."
Montero has spoken at an event alongside the Secretary General of the PSOE and President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, in the municipality of Huelva, where, according to the PSOE-A, more than 1,300 people gathered inside the municipal hall and at least a hundred outside. There she insisted that the PSOE is "the real alternative to change the course of this community, stop privatization, defend the public and guarantee that equality of opportunity that citizenship allows us".
The socialist leader has responded to Juanma Moreno's words, underlining that stability is "dialogue, to try to agree and reach compromises with those who are different" and has recalled "agreements that" the PP "reaches" in other parts of Spain". In her opinion, "here they don't even need to reach agreements, because the policies they practice are reflected there, as with unaccompanied minors, immigrant children, whom they do not want to welcome in a land of welcome like Andalusia".
For this reason, he has conveyed to the Andalusian citizens that "if they want stability, the only real alternative to the dismantling of public services is provided by the Socialist Party of Andalusia". He stressed that "there is no other alternative than us because the footprint of socialist governments is in every hospital, in every health center, in every technology center".
Montero has denounced that "the right-wing in Andalusia never bet on this land, they always opposed its progress" and has recalled that in the referendum for self-government "they said Andalusian, this is not your referendum, just as now they say no to 5,700 million more for Andalusia and as they say no to 19,000 million less in debt". She has accused the right-wing of always placing itself "against the impulse of Andalusia, of the social majority, because they never understood this land" and has stressed that "Andalusianism is not wearing a little bracelet that one shows when the occasion arises and it is not beating one's chest for Andalusia by confronting and harming the social majority".
The leader of PSOE-A has highlighted that the party has made the Andalusian middle class "grow" thanks to the fact that "we have free public services". "We are middle class because we don't have to save money in the bank in case of illness; because our children can go to public university to study and we are not going to allow them to impoverish us. We are not going to allow it. We are going to fight for it, to defend the public," she insisted.
Montero has listed projects promoted by the central Government in the province of Huelva: "Here in Huelva, the footprint of the Government of Spain is also in the center of unmanned aircraft, it is also in the aerospace vehicle testing center, the footprint of the Government of Spain is in green hydrogen, alternative energy sources so that industry moves to Andalusia". Faced with this, she has warned that "however, they lead us to a collapse of health services, a collapse of public services and, therefore, a social collapse where those who have the greatest needs find no response".
In this context, he has reiterated that the PSOE is going to "defend the public" and "the main legacy that we socialists built; a universal, and free public health system. That if someone has a cure for their illness, it is guaranteed". Next, he alluded to a "victim of breast cancer screening" present at the event, whom he described as "one of the greatest negligences that a health system in this country has ever had".
He denounced that he continues "without answers, without telling us what happened to women like her, 4,000 women waiting to be told that they had to get tested, who have risked their lives because they don't care, because they are privatizing the most precious thing, the healthcare system".
Commitments on waiting lists and housing
In health matters, Montero has announced that the "first decision" she will make "when she is president of the Junta de Andalucía" will be "to guarantee that no one waits more than 24 hours to be seen by a family doctor; that no one waits more than 30 days for a diagnostic test; that no one waits more than six months for surgery for a health problem".
"We are going to rescue the healthcare system. We know how to do it. We were proud of Spanish healthcare, with research, with stem cells, with cutting-edge technology, with the capacity to launch high-resolution centers. We know about health," he assured.
Alongside healthcare, he has emphasized that the PSOE will also "defend" "the need for housing for young people." He recalled that "we have committed to building 100,000 homes in two terms, to pay 20% of the down payment so that young people have affordable rent and can become independent."
At this point, he has railed against the "neglect and apathy of the Junta de Andalucía of Juanma Moreno in this matter", and has emphasized that the PSOE-A goes into the elections with "proposals, with hunger, with alternatives for the development of the statute of autonomy" and with the objective of reinforcing feminism.
"We are not going to allow Andalusian women to take even one step back. We want to be on equal terms. It is not just about fighting terrorism of gender violence, it is about women being able to occupy the position that corresponds to them on an equal footing, aware that without feminism there is no democracy, without the participation of half the population there is no democracy," she stressed.
Appeal to the progressive vote and support for Sánchez
Montero has called on the "progressive" citizens of Andalusia to "trust" that on May 17th "a victory will be achieved that will defend the social majority" against "propaganda, hoaxes, and lies," and has contrasted these practices with "initiatives, ideas, team, and projects," which, he said, is "what the Socialist Party brings, against those who want to scare away the electorate from voting." He asked that "no one remain a spectator, because we are risking everything."
Along the same lines, he has maintained that Andalusia needs "governors with judgment" and has cited the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, as an example, of whom he has said that he is "a benchmark in the international arena". He has described him as "a man who always raises his voice against injustice, who stands up to the powerful, whether they are called Trump, Netanyahu, Putin, or large multinational corporations. A president who always places us on the right side of history and they say he is alone. No, he is not alone, he is the first and behind him the rest of the countries, setting the course, making a difference," he has pointed out.
He also referred to the regularization of immigrants, recalling that "Andalusia was an emigrant people and wanted the same rights when they arrived at their destination as those who were already there," for which he appealed to "the dignity of people," especially "those who have to look for a job or have to integrate culturally," and thanked Sánchez for "making it possible."
Lastly, he has highlighted the increase in the Interprofessional Minimum Wage and pensions, as well as "the 600,000 new jobs for young people, for women", and has reproached that the PP "always votes against everything that is good for Andalusia".