The head of the PSOE ticket for Congress for Vizcaya and parliamentary spokesman, Patxi López, has said that in the general elections of 29N "we will win hands down" over "the propagators of hate, those who think that we are the fallen enemy" and has claimed credit for the work of the PSOE general secretary and president of the Government, Pedro Sánchez.
"You’ve been governing for eight years and from minute one they’ve gone after you, and despite that you haven’t left a single day of working for the people in this country who need it most," he said.
López spoke at an act of the PSOE held at the Palacio Euskalduna in Bilbao, chaired by Pedro Sánchez, and in which the PSOE-E general secretary, Eneko Andueza, also took part, along with Nora Abete, the secretary for Trade and Consumer Affairs of the CEF-PSOE, who is a deputy mayor and councillor in the Bilbao City Council.
The former lehendakari conveyed "enormous thanks, as enormous as Bilbao" to Sánchez, recalling that in his two terms at the head of the Executive "from minute one they’ve gone after you."
"And with everything we have had to put up with, with everything they have attacked us with, with everything they have insulted, threatened and even assaulted, the socialists, but especially you and your family, Begoña, your closest circle, you haven’t left a single day of working for the people who needed it most in this country," López said, who assured that under Sánchez’s leadership Spain is "the most dignified country in the world for humanity".
"Because you were capable of facing off against satraps, the powerful, the men of war, the technoligarcs, for that I want to thank you on behalf of all and all the Basques," he added, showing himself "convinced that they will continue to support you so that you can be president of the Government for four more years."
Criticism of the attacks and defense of "the force of the people"
Under the slogan "FOR LAND, SEA AND AIR", Patxi López has denounced the attacks "by land, sea and air" that, in his view, the PSOE has suffered, in which "they used every possible trick and demanded elections one day yes and another day too".
"And they did it because with everything that they have attacked us, and with everything that was happening outside our borders, they thought that we had already been defeated, that we were not going to rise, that they had already achieved it, that we were defeated. They believed that the world was doomed to be swept away by a giant wave of far-right populism that was going to impose on all of us their wars, their genocides, their chainsaws, their inhumanity", he has stated.
In view of that situation, the socialist spokesperson has defended that they have "something that is much more powerful" and with which "they did not count on, the power of the people", something, he has emphasized, "not only is our slogan, it is something that exists and has always existed".
According to López, it is "the force of women who go out and go out to the street to fight for equality, of those retired people who every Monday in Bilbao went out to demand decent pensions, of the young people who fight against speculators and vulture funds because they want to have their own life project, those thousands and thousands of people who go out into the street to defend healthcare and education".
In this sense, he has reiterated that "we are people who do not resign ourselves". "We are not willing for anyone to come and take away our rights; we don't want anyone to come and propose for us a setback of more than 40 years in this country", he has said.
The former lehendakari has brought up the examples "that have raised the containment dam that has brought the far-right wave to a complete stop in Serbia with the student movement, in Brazil with Lula, in the United States with the Democrats" to underline that "the strength of the people is going to do it again here, in Spain, with Pedro Sánchez".
The ballot paper as a symbol and the rejection of hatred
At this point, Patxi López has emphasized that "the strength of the people fits in one hand, and it is a ballot paper with a fist and a rose", which in the next general elections will serve to "tell a few of them that you have come as far as this", in reference to right-wing formations.
"We are going to tell a few here at home that you have come as far as this, and we are going to tell all the 'Indas' of the moment who finance rigged interviews to attack the head of government, those who buy headlines and pay propagators of lies and hoaxes", he has said, before emphasizing that "we have suffered too much from them, we have put up with them too much" after "eight years of hate propagators".
Finally, he has recalled that "the socialists have only had one enemy, and it was the terrorist group ETA". "And we do not give up, we beat them, and this time too we are going to beat the propagators of hatred, those who think we are the defeated enemy; we are going to beat them hands down," he concluded.
Support from Nora Abete and Txema Oleaga
For his part, Nora Abete wanted to convey to the president of the Government "all the affection and respect of the Basque socialists," which, as she has stated, "we know that governing is not easy."
"We are very proud of the work of your Government because, in addition, socialist governments suit Euskadi very well," she highlighted, placing value on "as a woman" the equality policies that were promoted.
Likewise, she has warned of the need to "not take a step back in the face of those who want to undermine our rights" and has recalled that "what has been achieved is not for ever; progress can be made, but it is also possible to go backwards. That is why we have a lot at stake: either we move forward or we move back with Vox and the PP, which only mean cuts, backsliding, and less protection for the social majority."
The candidate for Biscay to the Senate, Txema Oleaga, has assured that "just as has happened in Brazil and the United States, progressives are going to mobilize ourselves" on next 29 November in order to once again head a government of progress, and he has highlighted the agreement sealed in Euskadi with the Frente Amplio for the Upper Chamber because "being strong in the Senate, we have other four years of rights, of progress, and of freedoms closer."