The president of the Popular Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, took advantage of this Saturday's first major campaign event to promise a Government that will ask for sacrifices from citizens and will undertake a "national reconstruction" if he manages to reach La Moncloa after the general elections on November 29. His speech in Madrid coincided with Pedro Sánchez's rally in Seville, on a day marked by the confrontation between the two major parties and the political consequences of the housing crisis.
Feijóo gathered the leadership of his party at the Ifema venue, accompanied by Isabel Díaz Ayuso, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, and former presidents José María Aznar and Mariano Rajoy. There he defended a "total, serene, and forceful" change and promised to govern with "the truth ahead," while accusing Sánchez of lying and using institutions to remain in power.
The popular leader has assured that he does not intend to limit himself to replacing the current Executive, but to review the rules of operation of the State, strengthen institutions, and recover democratic checks and balances. His reconstruction proposal includes changes in the economy, public services, and immigration policy, although in this first event he did not specify the measures that will be part of his electoral program.
Feijóo promises sacrifices and claims his experience
The PP candidate has presented his project as an alternative to Sánchez's Government, which he blames for the institutional deterioration and the economic problems that Spain is facing. During his speech, he promised "a Government that asks you for sacrifice", an appeal that he accompanied with his commitment to take on responsibilities and not abandon citizens in the face of difficulties.
Feijóo has claimed his four consecutive absolute majorities in Galicia and his track record in public management to present himself as a experienced government alternative. He also took the opportunity in his speech to attack the environment of the socialist president and the corruption cases affecting the PSOE.
“I do not come from saunas or sewers,” he stated, before insisting that his experience comes from preparing budgets, sustaining public services, and assuming responsibilities. The PP intends to turn corruption and institutional management into two of the main issues of the campaign, against the PSOE's insistence on placing housing at the center of the electoral debate.
The PSOE interprets it as a warning of cuts
Feijóo's promise to form a Government that asks for sacrifices from Spaniards has opened another front of confrontation with the PSOE, where they interpret his words as a preview of possible cuts in the welfare state if the Popular Party reaches La Moncloa after the elections on November 29.
The socialists link that statement to the austerity policies applied during previous PP governments and believe that the appeal for sacrifice can translate into adjustments that affect public services and social benefits.
No, no es IA. Es Feijóo pidiendo SACRIFICIO en el primer acto de campaña. Imagina cómo será el resto de su programa electoral. https://t.co/0YtfoSCFr7
— PSOE (@PSOE) October 10, 2026
"Feijóo asking for SACRIFICE in the first act of the campaign. Imagine what the rest of his electoral program will be like," published the PSOE on its X account.
The response from the PP was swift: "The PSOE finds the word sacrifice amusing. Normal, they have never made any. It is always the same ones: those who wake up early and pay taxes, and see how you spend their money on setting up sewers."
Al PSOE le hace gracia la palabra sacrificio. Normal, ellos nunca han hecho ninguno. Lo hacen siempre los mismos: los que madrugan y pagan impuestos, y ven cómo os gastáis su dinero en montar cloacas. PD: ¿vais a decir ya quién dio la orden para acabar con la juez Biedma?
— Partido Popular (@ppopular) October 10, 2026
Sánchez defends his decree-laws in Seville
While Feijóo was speaking in Madrid, Pedro Sánchez was the protagonist in Dos Hermanas (Seville) of his first major pre-campaign rally, where he claimed the Government's actions regarding housing and committed to “reinforce and maintain” the decree-laws approved by the Executive.
The president has presented the elections as an opportunity to decide the continuity of social policies and has accused the PP and Vox of trying to discourage participation through their warnings about voting by mail and the electoral process.
Sánchez has called for massive mobilization on November 29, convinced that high participation can favor the continuity of a progressive Government. Before the attendees, he defined himself as a “dog without an owner” and contrasted his commitment to the “common people” with the interests that, he claims, the right represents.
The confrontation comes after Congress rejected the Government's housing decrees and after the death of Maricarmen Abascal, the 87-year-old woman evicted in Madrid, has intensified the controversy over rental policies and the protection of vulnerable tenants.
Housing and corruption mark the first confrontation
The events in Madrid and Seville have highlighted the differences between the electoral priorities of the two main parties. The PSOE intends to focus the campaign on housing, social policies, and the continuity of the Government's measures, while the PP insists on corruption, economic management, and the need for political change.
The death of Maricarmen Abascal has worsened the confrontation. Feijóo had already accused the socialists on Thursday of attempting an “emotional manipulation” of citizens following the death of the evicted woman, while Sánchez has defended the need to reinforce public intervention in the real estate market.
With seven weeks left until the general elections, both candidates have begun to mobilize their respective electorates with speeches that anticipate a pre-campaign of high political confrontation.