ALMANSA (ALBACETE), 10 (EUROPA PRESS)
Podemos Castilla-La Mancha’s coordinator, José Luis García Gascón, has formed his new executive committee this April, aiming to «rebuild the brave and transformative left» following Sumar’s electoral debacle. He criticized Emiliano García-Page for maintaining the same Autonomy Statute proposed by Cospedal and for «governing for the right,» in an interview with Europapress in Plaza de Santa María de Almansa, the city where he resides.
Despite the setback in the last regional elections where Podemos lost 30,000 votes, leaving them without representation in the Cortes for another term, Gascón, reelected by the party’s members in December with 55% of the votes, remains optimistic. He considers the situation of his group as «very positive» due to Sumar’s electoral decline and describes it as «a strategy of the elites of the regime and the PSOE to avoid truly left-wing policies.»
«I believe that the people in our country who are facing problems have realized that there is only one way to improve their lives, and that way is Podemos,» stated Gascón.
Gascón acknowledged the challenging situation the party is in, with a reduction in seats since 2019 leading to an ERE, the closure of offices, and part-time status for the Castilian-Manchego team and himself.
«I don’t think any other party could sustain a structure under these conditions, but we are still here thanks to the commitment of our members and the desire to change the region. We are not here for a salary,» the coordinator affirmed.
Asserting his group as the only social alternative to Emiliano García-Page’s government, Gascón strongly criticized the proposed Autonomy Statute, which Podemos considers as «similar or even worse» than the one proposed by the previous Cospedal government.
«Cospedal reduced our parliament to 33 seats when the Spanish average is 66, making it one of the smallest in Europe, and García-Page is securing it,» he added.
Gascón emphasized the «attacks on the rights and future» of Castilla-La Mancha by the regional government, which is «facing setbacks in courts and institutions defending legality.»
Citing examples, he mentioned the potential unconstitutionality of the Hunting Law «allowing hunting on public roads,» the maintenance of the elimination of the professional healthcare career – an initiative from the PP that García-Page has not rectified – and an investigation into international trafficking of toxic waste at the Almonacid del Marquesado landfill in Cuenca, the largest private landfill in Spain, where the Civil Guard arrested 15 people earlier this year.
Gascón also criticized the regional government’s housing policy, highlighting that the European Commission ruled, «thanks to a Podemos initiative,» that Union funds should not be used for unaffordable rental housing.
«The Minister of Development stated that €650 was an affordable rent in Castilla-La Mancha, which is not the case with the local salaries. We are experiencing an 8% increase, higher than the national average, with many families earning less than €1,000 per month,» Gascón explained, calling for the implementation of the Housing Law in a region «with the highest percentage in the country of families struggling to make ends meet, at 13%.»
Gascón accused García-Page of «manipulating» surgical waiting lists, claiming that in November, there were 13,000 patients awaiting surgery, which dropped to 6,000 in December when the data had to be sent to the ministry, only to rise back to 13,000 in January. He labeled this as a «fraud» and reported it to several organizations.
Regarding his political future, Gascón did not assure his inclusion in the regional lists, stating it will depend on the party and its members’ decisions. However, he highlighted a proposal from his new executive committee for an «indefinite and total moratorium» on macro-farms, which he criticized for «destroying the region’s future» and rural tourism initiatives, leaving «25 municipalities without drinking water.» He also called for «a comprehensive evaluation of the environmental impact.»
Gascón also demanded compliance with the LGTBI Law and the declaration of tension zones due to rising prices, in line with the Housing Law.
In conclusion, Gascón stated that García-Page’s management «is stirring up a significant social mobilization in the Autonomous Community,» to which his party offers responses. He expressed confidence in a «purple» boost in the upcoming elections, not ruling out a convergence with progressive political forces, including Sumar, as long as «they do not try to exclude us from leading the left because that worsens people’s lives. We must have a significant voice in directing policy.»