ARMILLA (GRANADA), 23 (EUROPA PRESS)
The new Secretary General of the PSOE-A, María Jesús Montero, has emphasized this Sunday, less than a week before the Day of Andalusia on February 28, an «integrative Andalusianism» that distinguishes itself from nationalisms and right-wing ideologies, and that aims to advocate for Andalusia to «have the same» in terms of self-government as other regions of the country.
These are ideas that the First Vice President of the Government and Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, has conveyed during her speech at the closing ceremony of the XV Regional Congress held by the Andalusian Socialists this weekend in Armilla (Granada), from which the new leadership headed by the Sevillian leader emerges.
María Jesús Montero, who was accompanied at this event by the President of the Government and leader of the PSOE, Pedro Sánchez, as well as supported by various ministers and prominent socialists such as former Presidents of the Junta Manuel Chaves and Susana Díaz, and her predecessor as Secretary General of the PSOE-A, Juan Espadas, has stated that «the right has never believed in Andalusia,» and criticized the slogan that the UCD championed prior to the referendum on February 28, 1980, for Andalusia’s autonomy through the route of historically considered communities, the one that said ‘Andalusian, this is not your referendum’.
«They did not believe in self-government because they did not believe in Andalusia, because they did not believe in the ability of this land to bring public services closer, to promote employment, to modernize our countryside, to have the ability to change the map,» María Jesús Montero denounced in reference to the right-wing.
In contrast, she argued that socialists want Andalusia to represent «a modern, intelligent, transformative, innovative South, with ambition to position itself at the forefront.»
Furthermore, she justified the designation of the first President of the Junta in the autonomous stage, Rafael Escuredo, as honorary president of the PSOE-A, while also claiming him as the «father of Andalusia’s autonomy, no matter how much the right refuses to acknowledge it,» she added.
The socialist leader emphasized that Escudero «fought very hard, as we all have to fight,» and added that «the most important thing» the socialists did «was to channel the spirit of ambition, of expectation, of improvement that people had when they voted» for the Andalusian autonomy statute in the referendum.
«THIS IS NOT ABOUT DENYING THINGS TO OTHER REGIONS»
Montero asserted that «Andalusia did not deny self-government to other regions,» because «this is not about denying things to other regions,» but about «aspiring to have the same powers, the same tools, the same capacity to direct our destiny» framed within the Spanish Constitution.
«That’s why, when some try to pit our Andalusianism against the aspirations of others to also have levels of self-government and say that being Andalusian is being against that, I tell them no,» she said, «being Andalusian is aspiring to have the same, to develop our Statute, to have financial capacity, to fight for our path to be cleared, not to fight among ourselves,» she elaborated.
«That’s what we did on that February 28th and that’s what we will continue to do,» warned the Secretary General of the PSOE-A, who at that point recalled that «we are on the eve of the Day of Andalusia,» a «great day for this land that is not about extravagance, not about having an event for one’s grandeur,» but about «a proactive and also assertive Andalusia, but with proposals ahead,» she argued.
In that sense, she criticized that the President of the Junta, Juanma Moreno, is not heard «offering any proposals for what he wants to do with Andalusia,» and emphasized that, facing February 28th, the socialists will «raise, as always, the green and white flag to attract people, to let them know that with us we will continue to defend reaching where we propose to go through the talent of our young people, the capacity of our land, the effort, the sacrifice.»
«ANDALUSIA NEEDS US TO RISE AGAIN»
«Therefore, Andalusia needs us to rise again» and «we cannot lower our guard at any moment,» added María Jesús Montero, who advocated for «remembering what happened on February 28» 1980 and «saying that it was the Socialist Party, with all the regional presidents, with Rafael (Escuredo), with Pepote (Rodríguez de la Borbolla), with Manolo (Chaves), with Pepe (Griñán), with Susana (Díaz), who turned this land around like a sock.»
María Jesús Montero emphasized that «we are proud of that, of having come out of the worst positions in economic and social indicators,» and stressed that’s why she defends «an Andalusianism that places green and white above black, that raises its voice among all communities, among all territories to also aspire to have sustainable investment, accelerated transformation in all processes that allow us to progress.»
«Our Andalusianism is not exclusive, like nationalisms or like right-wing ideologies,» but «it is integrative,» like «the Andalusianism of Lorca, of Picasso, or of Lola Flores,» which carried its accent «all over the world,» continued the new leader of the PSOE-A, who at that point claimed the «way of speaking, of expressing ourselves, of feeling» of Andalusians as a source of «pride,» and emphasized that a President of the Government – referring to the Sevillian Felipe González – «put the Andalusian accent on the table of the Council of Ministers for a long time.»
Montero criticized that Juanma Moreno «did not» defend her when she was attacked for her way of speaking, because he does not believe that people should express themselves as they have been educated, as they live, as they feel,» added the socialist leader, who thus claimed her «pride of always carrying Andalusia in her mouth, in her soul, in our way of speaking, in our way of expressing.»