The PP has accepted this Monday, November 9, that the Television Academy organizes the electoral debates between the candidates for the Presidency of the Government. The party proposes that the campaign leaderships intervene in the design of the meetings and announces contacts with the president of the institution, María Casado.
"We have already confirmed to President María Casado our willingness to meet as soon as possible and begin negotiating the terms of the meeting," the PP say in the statement released after a conversation between Miguel Tellado and Rebeca Torró.
A one-on-one between Sánchez and Feijóo and another debate with more candidates
According to the PP’s version, its general secretary has called the PSOE campaign spokesperson to insist on holding two meetings. The first would be a one-on-one between Alberto Núñez Feijóo and Pedro Sánchez next week; the second would bring together four or five leaders of national parties in the final stretch of the campaign.
Tellado initially defended that they would be organized by Atresmedia and Mediaset, the groups they belong to, on the one hand, Antena 3 and laSexta, and on the other, Telecinco and Cuatro. The PP recalls that both had formally requested those debates almost a month ago.
The Academy as an alternative to the disagreement over RTVE
The PP’s announcement responds to the alternative put forward hours earlier by the PSOE. The socialists had proposed resorting to the Academy if the PP maintained its rejection of RTVE organizing one of the meetings.
The two parties offer different versions regarding the role of the networks. The PP accuses Torró of vetoing private groups and questions the independence of RTVE. In its public proposal, the PSOE defended that one debate be organized on public television and another in a private group.
Under the socialist approach, the Academy formula would allow obtaining an open signal so that interested media could broadcast it. The acceptance announced by the PP refers to that organizing entity, with the involvement of the campaign teams in the design.
Podemos’ presence remains under discussion
The number of participants is another point of disagreement. According to the PP’s statement, Torró has not shown herself to be in favor of including Podemos in the second debate. The PP argues that this formation can be considered the successor of Sumar just like Frente Amplio.
We have also backed that the Academy organize the meeting and calls for Irene Montero’s participation alongside the representatives of PP, PSOE, Vox and Frente Amplio. The party has placed itself at the institution’s disposal to prepare its intervention.
November 16 and 26 are the dates mentioned by the PP
The Popular Party statement places the face-to-face on November 16 and the debate with more candidates on the 26th. These are the dates included in its proposal, not a calendar confirmed by the Academy.
Atresmedia, for its part, has announced this Monday that it is moving its four-candidate debate proposal to November 23 to avoid coinciding with the one planned by TVE. The group maintains its offer to organize a face-to-face on the date agreed by PP and PSOE.
The calendar for the meetings organized by the Academy, the format and the definitive list of participants remain to be worked out. The next step announced by the PP is to meet with the institution to negotiate those conditions.