The international agenda of Isabel Díaz Ayuso makes a stopover this Saturday at the Vatican. The president of the Community of Madrid, now accompanied by José Luis Martínez-Almeida, will meet with Pope Francis in the framework of the IV centenary of the canonization of San Isidro Labrador. But the visit, apart from honoring the patron saint of the capital, also serves to cultivate the Catholic profiles of the popular leaders at a key moment, just over two months before the elections on May 28 and with an absolute majority as priority target. It is not a minor issue, especially due to the rivalry with Vox to lead the conservative vote. According to the latest barometer from the Center for Sociological Research (CIS), the vast majority of voters from both parties declare themselves believers.
The trip, unprecedented to date, occurs in the final stretch of the legislature. All the polls predict the victory of Ayuso and Almeida in the next elections, but none advances an absolute majority of the PP. And although popular candidates repeat over and over again that They do not manage another scenario than to govern alone, the reality is that they will surely need the support of Vox again. Sources close to the campaign teams acknowledge that growth towards the center is very limited and that is why the strategy focuses on trying to engulf its natural partners. The relationship between the leaders of both parties in Madrid, non-existent for months, gives a clue to the pulse they maintain. They don’t even talk to each other.
The PP and Vox, with some exceptions, address the same public. And the CIS exemplifies the common points of their respective electorates regarding religious beliefs. The data on voting intention plus sympathy reflect that 81.6% of PP voters are Catholics, including practicing and non-practicing; while in the case of Vox the percentage stands at 77.4. The figures almost double the support of this population group for left-wing parties. The PSOE does not reach 50% of the votes among those interviewed declared as believers and Unidas Podemos barely exceeds 40%. In both cases the number of parishioners is much lower than on the right, with 12.9% among the socialists and 2.3% among the purples.
EFE The confidential
The meeting, scheduled at 10 am in the Apostolic Palace, has mobilized a varied delegation from Madrid, with representation from the Church, the two Madrid administrations and the Executive of Pedro Sánchez. In addition to Isabel Díaz Ayuso and José Luis Martínez-Almeida, the Cardinal Archbishop of Madrid, Carlos Osoro; the delegate of the Government in the Community, mercedes gonzalez; the councilor of the district of Carabanchel (where the hermitage of San Isidro is located), alvaro gonzalez; and the general coordinator of the mayor’s office, matilde garcia. The expectation is maximum. “This is the first time that I am going to meet the Holy Father personally and for me, who, as the whole world knows, I am a practicing Catholic, it will also be a very exciting moment,” said the mayor of the capital, who will bring several gifts to the Pontiff. related to San Isidro. Also signed shirts of the three soccer teams in the city, Real Madrid, Atlético and Rayo, in a nod to Francisco’s fans of this sport, a declared fan of San Lorenzo de Almagro.
From Ayuso’s team they limit the visit to Rome to the canonization of San Isidro, without too many details on the issues to be discussed at the meeting. But The political background of the trip escapes no one. In fact, the Madrid leader already made a staunch defense of Christian values as a fundamental pillar of the Western world last Christmas. The presentation of the Bethlehem at Puerta del Sol became an impromptu allegation. “The Gospel is part of everyone’s history. That is why I propose a pact for Christmas. Recovering religious culture, which is inseparable from the culture, with a capital letter, from which we come, and which we need to know where to go”, Ayuso said. “Are we believers and non-believers really going to renounce this legacy that carries the best of us? The History of Spain itself, from Roman Hispania, and from the same monarchy of the Visigoths, cannot be explained without its Christian roots. Are we going to deny it? What does anyone gain with that forgery? Few countries are so linked in their entire history and in their work in the world to the Catholic conception”, he underlined.
:format(jpg)/f.elconfidencial.com%2Foriginal%2F65e%2F819%2F662%2F65e819662c5793b357b1938051b380ce.jpg)
Opinion ruben amon
The party led by Santiago Abascal makes the same defense of the concept of Christmas and of Catholic values as the basis of our model of society. In his case, moreover, with a fierce criticism of radical Islamism. His argument, moreover, has a lot to do with moral convictions, such as their position regarding abortion, the education of children or the so-called LGTBI laws. He has even come to propose the declaration of Christian crosses as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC), something that he has already supported in the Community of Madrid through the Cultural Heritage Law, approved this week in the Assembly.
religion and politics
The gestures towards the Church this legislature are not limited to the right. The rapprochement with the Vatican has been rather transversal, with trips by various ministers of the Government of Pedro Sánchez, both from the socialist wing and from the home. The second vice president Yolanda Diaz, was the first to meet Pope Francis in a private capacity; while shortly after the head of the Presidency did the same, Felix Bolanos. The two leaders valued the nature of the meeting, described as “exciting” and “inspiring”, respectively. These movements were also recognized then as an attempt to bring a part of the electorate closer together, despite the fact that some actions or statements by their parties in the past went in the opposite direction.
The reality is that the figure of the Pope has motivated a kind of conflict between religion and politics. Isabel Díaz Ayuso herself openly criticized her Holiness when asked forgiveness for the alleged sins and crimes of the Church in Mexico, in a trend shared by José María Aznar or Iván Espinosa de los Monteros, among others. “I am surprised that a Catholic who speaks Spanish speaks like this in turn about a legacy like ours, which was precisely to bring Spanish, and through the missions, Catholicism and, therefore, civilization and freedom to the continent American”, said the Madrid president in October 2021. The opposition leader in the region, Monica Garcia, also did not miss the opportunity to fuel the debate. “Similarly, what surprises Ayuso about the Pope is that he is human, humble and empathetic and he does not insult wherever he goes,” he stressed. Almost two years later, the region’s media attention will once again point to the Vatican.
The international agenda of Isabel Díaz Ayuso makes a stopover this Saturday at the Vatican. The president of the Community of Madrid, now accompanied by José Luis Martínez-Almeida, will meet with Pope Francis in the framework of the IV centenary of the canonization of San Isidro Labrador. But the visit, apart from honoring the patron saint of the capital, also serves to cultivate the Catholic profiles of the popular leaders at a key moment, just over two months before the elections on May 28 and with an absolute majority as priority target. It is not a minor issue, especially due to the rivalry with Vox to lead the conservative vote. According to the latest barometer from the Center for Sociological Research (CIS), the vast majority of voters from both parties declare themselves believers.
