The general secretary of the PSdeG, José Ramón Gómez Besteiro, has ruled out running as a candidate for the Congress of Deputies and has called to support his party as the "useful vote" of the "progressive people" in the upcoming general elections, set for November 29.
"The progressive people are going to be clear about one thing: either their vote goes to the PSOE or their vote is going to go to waste because it will only benefit the alliance of the PP and Vox," he pointed out this Sunday in an interview on 'Cadena SER' reported by Europa Press, in which he analyzed, among other topics, the PSOE's scenario ahead of the upcoming election.
When questioned about whether he sees room to reverse the polls that give the majority to the PP and Vox, Besteiro responded affirmatively and believes that this turnaround is "necessary," emphasizing that there are "real possibilities" of continuing in government. In his view, there is a "mobilization in progressive society" that will lead to a "concentration of the vote" and directing it towards whom he considers "useful," which he places in the PSOE.
In that "decision of utility," he reiterated when asked about other issues, such as the expectations of surpassing the current seven deputies from Galicia or his confidence in the Broad Front being finalized by Movimiento Sumar, Izquierda Unida, Más Madrid, and Comuns. Regarding this last issue, he reiterated his call for an "absolutely rational vote and confrontation against the real threat of the right and far-right," which, in his opinion, the PSOE represents.
Regarding the possibility of increasing Galician representation in Congress, he avoided setting specific goals: "We cannot set limits." He also did not reveal who will be the heads of the list for the four provinces, although he advanced that the candidacies are about to be finalized and will be consolidated throughout the next week. He did mention that they will be "political references" and that there will be a "strong" female presence.
When directly asked if he will lead the list for Congress for Lugo, Besteiro denied that option. "My commitment is here today, with my party and, above all, with Galicia," he stated, emphasizing that the "commitment" he made in the last regional elections remains "intact."
Likewise, he has rejected that the succession of electoral appointments could trigger a crisis over his leadership in Galicia and has asked to "set aside any kind of speculation" regarding the general elections, in which, according to his view, will be chosen "between two models." Among them, he leans towards that of the current government, of which he highlights that, "when there was a problem, it did not look the other way."
Defense of the agreement for Galician with PP and DO
In another order of things, and asked about it, Besteiro has again defended the agreement reached with PP and Democracia Ourensana (DO) to update the Plan Xeral de Normalización da Lingua Galega, approved this week in Parliament with the vote against BNG.
"The very motivation of that agreement responds to advancing towards what is possible," the socialist leader has pointed out, who has insisted that, despite this, it is "not" the plan of PSdeG and that his group aspires to "more." "What we want is to gain capacity so as not to lose three years in that struggle we have to undertake to reverse the position of Galician," he has explained.
Remembering Beiras as a political reference
During the interview, he also had words for Xosé Manuel Beiras, who passed away this week and with whom he shared a political stage: "Despite having different opinions and positions, it must be recognized that he was a reference person and, above all, a model of commitment to our country."
From his trajectory, he has also drawn a lesson about the need to "overcome dogmas" in politics. "The alternatives to the union against a project that represents the worst of Galicia, as is the PP from my political point of view, that alternative of what is possible overcoming dogmas I believe is a choice that many have to learn," he concluded.