A staged declaration in Fuenlabrada
Pedro Sánchez made a public declaration of love to his wife, Begoña Gómez, during a PSOE event in Fuenlabrada on Saturday, 17 October. Gómez sat in the front row, and La Razón describes a production built around an opening video, red T-shirts, campaign slogans, choreographed dancing and repeated standing ovations, with about 3,000 attendees applauding in unison. The Federal Committee meeting itself lasted roughly an hour, and the rally that followed was, by the same account, more theatrical still. Sánchez, who had just been proclaimed the PSOE candidate by unanimous vote, used the event to launch the campaign for the 29N election.
What Sánchez said
Sánchez told the audience that his opponents had tried to break the party in every way and had achieved the opposite. He did not name judge Peinado while making the remark, and he told supporters the party was stronger than ever.
They have tried to break us in every way and have achieved exactly the opposite. Today we are more united and stronger than ever.
The speech closed with the words 'te quiero', directed at Gómez, who was seated in the front row.
Columnists split on the staging
Commentary in the Spanish press largely treats the moment as stage-managed. An El Confidencial opinion piece cites a column by Juan Diego Madueño in El Mundo, which warned that public affection could end up being sold for seven votes, a reference to the numbers of the 23 July 2023 election. A separate El Mundo column describes Gómez as besieged and under investigation by judge Peinado, and says Sánchez is manufacturing romance. ABC columnists are harsher, with Juan Manuel de Prada arguing that modern democracy has become a stage for cheap emotions, and Jesús García Calero calling the kiss premeditated political theatre. La Razón's column calls the event a remake of French Kiss and lists matters it says the staging does not resolve, including the resignation of Montse Mínguez over a scandal involving her partner's company, the harassment of judge Biedma, and the cases involving Ábalos and Cerdán. An eldiario.es column expects the declaration to please the party's core voters, particularly those over 60.
The underdog argument
Political scientist Manu Mostaza, speaking on LaSexta, judged the moment positive for the PSOE campaign.
It is well done. Sánchez appears as a very cold person and this humanises the character.
He warned, however, that the tactic can show a weak, sentimental leader asking for sympathy, an underdog effect. LaSexta reports that the PP has responded with memes, including images of Sánchez kissing Ábalos and of him and his wife behind bars.
What remains open
The campaign for the 29N election began with this event, and the columns disagree on whether the emotional framing will hold until voting day. Former minister María Jesús Montero, as ABC calls her, acted as master of ceremonies at the event, according to La Razón. The unresolved cases listed by commentators remain separate from the staging, and the articles give no outcome for them.