Even in the worst forecasts, the PSOE did not expect a result like the one recorded this Sunday in Extremadura. The electoral disaster had a strong psychological impact on a party with depressed morale, which was barely able to raise its head after being overwhelmed. … due to the wave of corruption scandals and sexual harassment cases surrounding the formation’s initials. The failure of the elections was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
The situation is extremely serious, but what is worrying is that They do not understand the strategy deployed by Pedro Sánchez. In the territories, which will soon go to the polls or wait their turn in 2027, there is a fear of finding themselves locked in an “infernal spiral” which buries all expectations of victory. “We are not an alternative”they lament.
The image of another historic stronghold of socialism given to the right, with 60% of the votes, requires, according to several sources consulted, a deep reflection to try to reverse a trend which also promises to be unfavorable in Aragon, in February; in Castile and León, in March, and in Andalusia, no later than June. A distressing journey in which the PSOE finds itself devastated. “This blindness needs a lot of light”declared the mayor of Palencia, Miriam Andrés, on the same election night in Extremadura.
In the same spirit, Emiliano García-Page asked for self-criticism this Monday. “There are plenty of excuses, there are plenty of alibis”he assured, emphasizing that “you can divert your attention from reality as long as you want and we can probably even continue to deceive ourselves, but I think there is too much self-delusion and a lack of self-criticism, which, with each passing day, will have to be much closer.”
Few dare to raise their voices in public, but in private those who ask to redirect the course follow one another. They criticize that the strategy is already exhausted. The discourse on the “fear of Vox” does not work or, at least, the PSOE has not become a refuge option for those who are wary of its progress. “Ours stayed at home”they assure in the socialist sense, seeking to “prick” them again so that they mobilize in the next processes.
“Guardiola failed in his objective of obtaining an absolute majority, but he took 11 seats from us,” says one leader.
Others, however, look with concern at the emergence of a wave of workers’ votes that ultimately leads to the far right and call for getting to the root of the problem. ““We will have to think about why they are voting for them and not us.”they think. Nobody denies the force of the defeat in Extremadura and concerns are accumulating due to the possibility of a “contagion effect” on the next electoral processes on the horizon.
The sources consulted by this newspaper find it insufficient that all the analysis focuses on the attack against the PP. “Guardiola did not achieve his goal of obtaining an absolute majority, but he took 11 seats from us,” says a leader who looks with envy at the absolute majorities of the PSOE in Extremadura, where it has until now occupied a hegemonic position.
Gallardo leads the way
At the leadership of the PSOE they are trying to summarize the electoral crisis in Extremadura due to the conditions of their candidate. They believe he was not “the right one” and forced his departure after the debacle. Gallardo’s resignation, however, sets a precedent for the future and could end up paving the way for other headliners directly linked to Sánchez such as Pilar Alegría (Aragon) and María Jesús Montero (Andalusia), if they fail to cover the issue in the territories where they will go to the polls.
Privately they assume that Gallardo’s procedural situation has been a burden, but publicly the spokesperson for the Executive, Montse Mínguez, has adhered to the discourse of “lawfare”, describing as a “dirty game” the accusations against the former leader of the PSOE of Extremadura, who is under investigation for the alleged irregular hiring of the brother of the President of the Government, David Sánchez. This leads them to conclude that Extremadura’s failure “cannot be extrapolated” to the next places that will be measured in the elections.
“The PSOE is asking us to keep the furniture of this lady who got herself into trouble,” they say within the party.
In Ferraz, the symptoms of dissociation from reality that are so worrying in the territories continue to appear. Sánchez addressed his people this Monday to proclaim the vitality of the project he is leading and proclaim that “we are more necessary than ever.” Although they continue to preach the “anti-fascist alert” and assure that “Vox continues to scare people in this country”the PSOE does not plan to guarantee that Extremadura remains outside the orbit of influence of the far right.
“We, the PSOE, are invited to save the furniture of a lady who has gotten herself into trouble,” respond the socialist leaders when asked about the possibility of facilitating the inauguration of María Guardiola to avoid a new election. “We proposed to vote for the budgets, but they wanted elections”they answer in the negative.
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