The song People have de power by Patti Smith thundered early in the morning on one of the clay courts in the City of the Racket. There, sitting on the stage, were Toni Nadal, one of the thinking heads of the 'popular' Reformismo21 foundation, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, a candidate for Moncloa, and José Luis Martínez-Almeida, mayor of Madrid, who had barely had time to change the chip after the debate of candidates the night before, acting as moderator. The three were participating in a colloquium on education, values and leadership.
And, inevitably, due to current affairs, the first topic that came to the fore was that of Vinicius and racism. And the first to speak was Feijóo. "Sport and racism are incompatible. Spain is not a racist country in any case. Education is the opposite of racism. When you try to give a contrary image you have to be forceful," were the messages left by the opposition leader . "A country with a high level of education always works well," he added, before winking at the mayor of Madrid for the first time: "Today we are not going to leave you any tennis balls because you can ride them."
At the end of the act, Almeida would refer to the four arrests by the National Police for hanging a Vinicius mannequin on a bridge. "It is a forceful message that must be sent to society. Violence and racism must have no place in sport. It must be the object of repudiation from the institutions and be persecuted."
In that improvised audience on the clay that Rafa Nadal has tamed so many times, his uncle Toni, who was his coach for so many years, referred to values. In the background, with subtlety, politics. "I believe in the demand and I would not trust anyone who wants to give me a pass or something. This differentiates us from the animal world. What they do not have is illusion and that is the main thing that young people have to have," argued Nadal. "The important thing is not to be number one, but to give your best version at any time," he added.
Observed without losing detail Borja Sémper, spokesman for the Popular Party. He agreed with that new format that exposes his party, with a much more relaxed tone. Obviating the name of Pedro Sánchez, to whom they have explicitly referred so many times during the campaign. It may seem like a coincidence, but last night, during the municipal debate, Almeida also avoided that strategy of confrontation with sanchismo.
"In politics, you have to be a long-distance runner, and not arrive in any way. Without dividing or stressing people, and making decisions so that your country is better when you leave than when you arrived. You will be a former president much longer than president", pointed out Feijóo intentionally. "A president is a coach, but he answers in person. You have to make a team that works and make decisions for the team as a whole. You have to think about what is best for society and not what brings you votes. If you play in short, you will not be useful and you will not leave a good memory", were his camouflaged darts towards Pedro Sánchez.
There were others, in different directions. "If you are very interested in money, I do not recommend anyone to be a politician. Politics and enrichment are incompatible. The important thing is not to win at any price and govern in any way," was one of them. "I can't conceive of a politician who doesn't study, because he will be a politician who won't be up to the job. Sometimes you don't have to make the most popular decisions and in the long term they are essential. Having studied seems fundamental to me," he added.
And in the middle of that colloquium with a conciliatory tone, between talks about Rafa Nadal, Almeida protested with a smile: "In yesterday's debate they attacked me less than here." And both Toni Nadal and Feijóo used their golden minutes to draw one last message. "I believe in the demand and I would not trust someone who wants to give me a pass or something. In life you have to make an effort, because things of value cost. You have to know your reality to try to change it," said Toni. "You have to be honest, you cannot boast of your country when only 2019 levels have been recovered," Feijóo closed, without ever saying the name of Pedro Sánchez.
And Patti Smith's People have de power sounded again. Also the noise of one of the many neighborhoods that passed during the act. It was the farewell to the colloquium. With that new tone of the Popular Party for this final sprint of the electoral campaign.
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