Any resemblance to 2019 in Ciudadanos is purely coincidental. Since then, much has changed in this formation, which was the third political force in the Valencian Community until the polls in the 28M said otherwise (or did not). Three trustees captained the district ship’s most staggering legislature, and it ended in a clear re-establishment that, according to all polls, the oranges risked being left out of the Cortes. But demoscopia is not welcome in the new headquarters of Valencian liberals.
The current operations center is more discreet, proving this cycle change. Although months have passed since the announcement of the transfer, everything was left unfinished, like someone passing by. There are only those who are truly convinced, who believe that the project has a future. They are not many, but they say they are loaded with morals.
In that trench are the designers of the survival campaign. Like all drafting teams, they eat poorly – “we always carry donuts in the van” – sleep less and connect less, counting the last days as they sum up. A weariness appears on their faces, and the desire for this to end is hard to hide. There are even trips to Africa shortly after 28M. They prefer not to talk about labor concerns and say that they are fit for the job.
The small meeting room is presided over by the Generalitat candidate Mamen Peris’s campaign poster with the slogan “free and determined”. A slogan that they said was chosen as a result of brainstorming on WhatsApp and was destroyed at the last moment for “aesthetic” reasons. “It’s time? Free and determined” was the original.
The strategists, who met with campaign manager Fernando Llopis, who was in Alicante yesterday, via video conference, explain that this “much more municipalist and word of mouth” campaign has little to do with the campaign in 2019. accompanied the voter to the polls”, jokes press officer Sergio Borrego with Elena Juanes. But it’s also more complex. One of the main challenges is gaining notoriety, the kind the media says it denies because of black perspectives, as well as in debates where other entities, especially liberals, try to make them invisible. “They’re ignoring us,” Juanes says of PP’s stance.
Therefore, one of their main goals is to be seen among those they meet, albeit without fanfare. “We haven’t been tough so far, but …” says Gil-Orozco, who left the door open to introduce the surprising elements at the last face-to-face meeting.
The other big hurdle they have in the orange engine room is budget. They don’t give numbers on the difference in resources between four years ago and today, but their faces speak for themselves. “We’re more moderate and resourceful now,” Borrego says. “It forces us to hit the target,” the head of strategy adds.
Despite everything, they assure that the illusion is intact and that the existing fatigue and depressed moments quickly pass. In this sense, they admit that they have taken a load off their shoulders with the preparation of the lists, perhaps the most difficult moment, due to leaks against PP. “A list had to be created in four hours,” they recall.
The real “loyal” with the post-traumatic road and blanket. They did not specify the kilometers covered in the campaign, but state that they visited “at least four towns a day” (and it would have been more for Mamen Peris). According to Juanes, as with just about everything else, they share the task of balancing actions in each town, prioritizing visits to towns with the best chance of choice and places where they can send messages that interest them.
Despite this, it is impossible to reach everyone, which causes anger in some candidates. “Aren’t you going to come after all?” They say a few days ago one of them complained about not being able to support Peris. Borrego adds that when that happens, it’s about sending out a few second swords. “Mamen is worth three,” he jokes.
The Ciudadanos strategy team for 28M met yesterday at party headquarters with campaign manager Fernando Llopis, who was videoconferencing an event in Alicante.