The Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, the socialist Óscar Puente, joked this Friday that, in electoral debates, he perceives that the Popular Party always opts for the scenario that favors them the most.
The PSOE leader made these statements to the media after his institutional declaration at the IX Ibero-American Ministerial Conference on Transport and Infrastructure, held in Valladolid, where he was asked about the PP's attitude towards the proposals for electoral debates put forward by various private television channels.
Puente admitted that, for the moment, he does not know what decision his party will make regarding future television appearances, although he wanted to make clear his impression of the strategy of the popular party. "I have the feeling that the Popular Party accepts the playing fields that suit them best," he stated.
In any case, the minister defended that electoral debates are a positive tool in democracy, as they allow for the confrontation of programs and proposals. He emphasized that political leaders have the obligation to provide explanations and respond to the questions posed to them, as long as they are formulated correctly, so that citizens can evaluate the different models against the most urgent problems. At this point, he added that most journalists ask their questions with respect, something that, in his view, contrasts with what has been experienced recently in the Congress of Deputies.
Regarding the words of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, who stated that it is time for Parliament to resemble the street more and less those who live in "luxury penthouses," Puente opined that it is a graphic way of conveying an idea, a resource he described as common in political communication.
In his view, it is not undemocratic to maintain that the mood of the street today does not match that perceived in Parliament. Furthermore, he expressed his desire to see after the general elections on November 29 whether a Chamber is configured that better represents the citizens' feelings or if a Parliament similar to the current one is maintained, which, he criticized, rejects the solutions proposed regarding housing.
On the electoral polls, he has insisted that the internal data managed by the PSOE does not correspond with the majority of the published surveys. In this line, he has reiterated his conviction that the socialists will position themselves as the first force at the polls on the next November 29 and has trusted in being able to add with the other progressive forces to guarantee, he said, another four years of progress for the country.
Finally, Puente has highlighted that the polls detect a significant volume of the population still not activated, which must decide whether to finally go to vote. According to what he has pointed out, that segment of voters is concentrated practically in its entirety in the left space and, very notably, among the potential voters of the PSOE, which is why he has set as one of the priorities of the campaign to mobilize that undecided electorate.