Double game

ACTING Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy reiterated that he will lower taxes if re-elected in June. But in his ‘Dear Jean’ letter to EU President Jean-Claude Juncker, Rajoy has already promised to take the necessary steps to reduce Spain’s deficit and avoid a €2 billion fine.

So who is he lying to? If Rajoy and the PP pull it off and form a government he’ll have to find money somewhere. Robbing Peter to pay Paul never balances the books long-term mearly leaving Peter (i.e. the electorate) cheesed-off and poorer.

Law-breaker

ANTONIO CAÑIZARES, Cardinal-Archbishop of Valencia, exploded for the second week running. As the elections near, he urges churchgoers to ignore equality and gender legislation. “The ideology that is the most insidious and destructive in the history of humanity is the ideology of gender,” Cañizares thundered.

He exhorted “those concerned” to avoid a future government “inspired by this same ideology.” Laicism and gender-ideology are gradually leading to a loss of religious liberty “and even promote ignorance and contempt for religion,” Cañizares said. In fact, he’s doing that himself without any outside help from the godless.

Parts of speech

MUCH of the PSOE socialists’ former backing in Cataluña has been washed away by the rising tide of separatism. Some support could return with Pedro Sanchez’s suggestion of a pact recognising the region’s singularity in a way that can be incorporated into Spain’s constitution.

Interestingly, when outlining this, Sanchez referred to a “political pact with Cataluña” and not a “political pact for Cataluña.” Will swapping those two prepositions bring back some votes?

Playing the game

CIUDADANOS leader Albert Rivera accused Mariano Rajoy of having spent the four-month interval since the December elections reading Marca.  

Rajoy doubtless has weightier things to read than Spain’s favourite sports daily but as a Real Madrid fan – the usual right-wing choice, unlike Atleti – he was onto a winner there even if the Champions League did go into extra time and penalties.  

Just what Rajoy’s hoping for on June 26.