Politicians head out on the campaign trail

The December 20 general elections are more than six weeks off but political leaders are already doing the rounds.

Mariano Rajoy, President of the Spanish Government as well as the Partido Popular (PP),  recently visited Almanzora to attend the marble-producers’ annual Premios Macael awards. 

“I am proud that the best marble in the world takes Spain to the five continents,” Rajoy said in his closing speech.  Earlier, he met local residents during a walkabout in Huercal-Overa. 

By accident or design, Pedro Sanchez, who heads the PSOE socialists was also in Almeria, at a party rally in Viator. 

Regional President Susana Diaz (pictured with Pedro Sanchez) was there too, and despite rumoured differences, the socialist politicians presented a united front. Almeria is close to his heart, said Sanchez, who confided that this was where his daughters had discovered the Mediterranean, the Andalucian sun and the Andalucian light. 

And in the knowledge that water, or the lack of it, plus the tardy arrival of the AVE high- speed were sore points, Sanchez pledged that if elected, he would guarantee both.

Back in Madrid on Tuesday (November 10), the two party leaders – Rajoy and Sanchez – once again met at Moncloa Palace to discuss how to respond to declarations by the Catalan Parliament of its intention to start procedures to create a Catalan republic.

On Monday the two men had discussed the matter over the telephone after the news broke, and they reportedly decided although they had seen each other in Almeria at the weekend they needed to meet up to discuss the matter in person.