Sánchez Levers Independence Movement at Campaign Launch

"Spain". "Spain". "Spain". Pedro Sánchez, leader of the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) and acting president, mentioned the word Spain 65 times in half an hour during the keynote address for his campaign slogan. Sánchez begins his pre-election tour for all of Spain with the slogan ?Ahora Gobierno. Ahora España.' (Government Now. Spain Now.) The Secretary General of the PSOE made it clear that his party is, "the left that will never bring shame to Spain's name," in a speech searing with pro-independent tones.

The PSOE premiered a new polarizing rhetoric, presumably fabricated in Ivan Redondo's political laboratory. It appears that Redondo has replaced the "ultraright" threat that shook up the previous campaign in an attempt to mobilize voters. This time, the spotlight is on separatists, who Sánchez warned not to "play with fire," lest they be burnt by the State with the force of the law.

[Alberto Fernández turns to Mexico and Spain for help in renegotiating Argentina's IMF debt]

The socialists decided to stick to tradition by launching their campaign in the same location they used to introduce their project for the April 28 elections. The Próxima Estación de Madrid is a venue close to Príncipio Pío where this Monday high-ranking members of Sánchez's party and the majority of his ministers gathered to rally around him, ready for the campaign. The PSOE leader embraced the Constitution and premiered his new hard line rhetoric on the very same people he courted when Rajoy was the subject of a vote of no confidence. Sánchez: "Let the independence movement be clear. Let its failure be recognized. Let it stop fracturing our society. It is time to think about the real needs of our people," he said.

The socialists barely touched on Cataluña in the last campaign. Now, with the sentencia del procés (judgement) about to come out, it's clear that they've decided that the separatist conflict is the best motivation for shifting the voting process into high gear. "We love the Constitution," the socialist leader said this Saturday in his speech at the party's Federal Committee, where the ?barons' of his territorial lands in Ferraz were present. Some were surprised by his use of ?love' and later assured that, "this is the message we have to deliver after other parties try to remove us from the ranks of those who respect the Constitution. This has been painful and we have to be clear," a party member declared to LPO.

"We are the left that will not be handed over, that does not hide and that will never shame the glorious name that is Spain," Sánchez declared on Monday, adding, "the Spain we love brings us together around symbols that we must exhibit in order to move forward." Sánchez mentioned the word ?Spain' at least 65 times in order to be clear that the right will not be able to appropriate the country or the flag. And this how other territorial leaders are seeing it as well, who envision receiving votes November 10 in light of Francisco Franco del Valle's exit from the Valle de los Caídos.

Me or a Blockade

Sánchez was clear that after the elections, there must be Government: "On November 11, there will either be a progressive government or there will be a blockade. Whoever wants a blockade has many options to choose from, with reasons abounding left and right. But for those who want a cohesive government - they have PSOE," Sánchez said. The PSOE leader offered his party as a "generous [project] that will have everyone's support and that will not exclude anyone." That being said, Sánchez insisted that his party is the only political power that can offer, "stability, the concept of State, and a clear roadmap for the future. No one else is in a position to do so. And this is what we'll be explaining to the general public on November 10."

The socialist maintained the slogans he put forth this Saturday to the territorial presidents of his party: positive speaking and talking about the future, without getting into complications. "This is why, now is the time to go forward. And when facing the dilemma of whether to backtrack or go forward, to build or undo, we have a message for Spaniards: Spain has no time to lose. The time is now: Government, now. Spain, now." Sánchez ended his speech with the clear reference to his slogan and to PSOE's rallying campaign cry come November 10.

Ciudadanos Versus Torra

Meanwhile, Ciudadanos will debate and vote this Monday on the filing of a vote of no confidence against Quim Torra, the president of Generalitat. This in response to the momentous events of this week in Cataluña involving the arrest of nine CDR (Committees for the Defense of the Republic) members on suspicion of terrorism.

Lorena Roldán, the leader of the liberal party in Cataluña said that the region had experienced, "a dark week of separatism" that began on Monday with a number of members taken into custody who are "radical separatist commandos, arrested on charges of possessing explosives and alleged terrorism," which in her opinion crossed every line that exists. She also criticized the independence movement for organizing a protest in support of people who could end up convicted for terrorism.