The Popular Party has embarked on a cross-country tour, clocking more than 15,000 kilometers to argue that the country’s president, Pedro Sánchez, poses a risk to Spaniards. This journey, branded the Route for Equality, paused on Tuesday afternoon in the Plaza de la Montañeta, in front of the Government Sub-delegation, where the party’s national spokesperson, Borja Semper, asserted that those who vote for Sánchez in Congress enjoy privileges. For the Basque politician, this claim is unfair because it affects investments and funding in other regions, such as Alicante, a province that has long trailed in state spending. The convoy’s organizers warned that the extension of the General State Budgets will perpetuate this pattern, a point they highlighted during the event.
Semper spoke flanked by regional and provincial party leaders, as well as national, regional, and local deputies, and mayors, including Alicante’s Luis Barcala and Elche’s Pablo Ruz. The spokesperson labeled Sánchez as immoral, arguing that if the government needs someone’s votes it may grant amnesty, and he raised several controversies that have shadowed the PSOE in recent weeks. These included allegations involving Koldo García, a former adviser to the former minister José Luis Ábalos, and the wife of Sánchez, Begoña Gómez, who is connected to a claim of government favoritism toward Air Europa, a company rescued in November 2020. The statements align with the party’s stance, as the PP called for documents related to the subsidy for the airline to be brought to Congress the very same day.
In the face of these developments, Semper lamented that Alicante’s demands often disappear amidst national noise, noting that Congress is preoccupied with Sánchez-related issues. He delivered a message on behalf of the PP: the party may be in opposition, but it has entered politics to wield power as a tool to transform society. He also emphasized that the party has modernized its internal structure, claiming it has risen above narrow interests to consider the broader good, and said that members would participate in all spaces where transparency is demanded, including ongoing investigations in both the Congress and the Senate.
During the Route for Equality event, Toni Pérez, the provincial president of the PP and head of the provincial government, and Alicante’s mayor, Luis Barcala, spoke. Pérez argued that Sánchez’s approach to politics consistently undermines Alicante by limiting funding, investment, and water-related projects, noting that residents receive about 180 euros less per person in state investment compared with the national average. He explained that this situation forces the Mazón administration to work harder to advance policies in health care, education, infrastructure, and agriculture. Barcala added that the region does not face threats from extremists; rather, it encounters a political left that is compliant and reluctant to challenge the status quo, a claim he framed as evidence of a broader political climate rather than any immediate security concern.