Pedro Sánchez’s decision to bring forward the PSOE Federal Congress to next November, which will be followed by a cascade of regional conclaves to “renew the leadership”, has had the effect of a bomb among the Madrid socialists, a federation always involved in unrest and conflicts. And as usual, on this occasion too, the debate was opened on the continuity or not of its leader Juan Lobato, general secretary of the PSM and current spokesperson of the party in the Assembly of Madrid, as well as that of some other territorial leaders. who They are not appreciated by the Ferraz leadership.
This circumstance was immediately exploited by the PP. The first to adhere to the strategy of attrition against Lobato was the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, who did not want to miss the opportunity to stir up this hornet’s nest and worked to incite the government delegate, Francisco Martín, against him. As soon as the news was known, he assured: “The government delegate is moving Juan Lobato’s chair because Pedro Sánchez does not want Juan Lobato”. “The one who replaced him and Reyes Maroto in their opposition work was the Madrid delegate. “Neither Lobato nor Maroto have practically any public presence in Madrid, it is insignificant and this is because they received an instruction from Pedro Sánchez to take the reins of the Socialist Party of Madrid.” The mayor clarified that Martín, moreover, “has the illusion of being a PSOE candidate for the City Hall or the Community”, using the same tactic as with the previous government delegate, Mercedes González, whom he tried to oppose Reyes Maroto when the former Minister of Industry was about to be appointed candidate for the Community of Madrid.
Almeida was joined shortly after by the president of the Community, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who, during the debate on the state of the Region, ironically commented on the ardent defense that Lobato had previously made of Sánchez’s management. “I don’t know if they gave him the speech of Moncloa, if they encouraged him enough by applauding him before reaching the lectern to give him that momentum and pass the stage.” I have talent [programa concurso de Telecinco]”, he said, adding later: “When you say that you are a proud delegate of Sanchism in Madrid, I say… well, there are already two of them. Let’s see how the two fit into the same square,” he said, clearly alluding to speculation that Francisco Martín aspires to overthrow Lobato.
This is not the only time that Ayuso has made a misleading comment about Lobato’s supposed weakness within the PSOE. This Thursday, during the plenary session of control of her government, the regional president told the socialist spokesperson: “You are not a criminal and, therefore, you are condemned to ‘sanchism’. But I assure you that there will be a position for you, do not worry” if you cease to be leader of your federation. That said, he recommended that she “be brave”, stand up to Sánchez and do “what Javier Lambán -former president of Aragon- does, what Joaquín Leguina did”. and Felipe González” and “so many socialists who rose to the occasion in the most difficult moments.” “At least when he goes down in the history of the Community of Madrid, we can say: ‘Yes, but he fought for Spain and for Madrid.’ I leave you with the advice,” he concluded.
“I don’t do politics out of fear,” says Lobato
The former mayor of Soto del Real has been at the head of his Madrid federation since 2021, three years in which he has managed to maintain a certain internal peace within his organization. He came to power after winning the primaries against the mayor of Fuenlabrada, Javier Ayala, and shortly after he became spokesperson for the Madrid Assembly after the resignation of Hana Jalloul. In the last regional elections in May 2023, in which he was a candidate, he obtained three additional seats for his group, equal with Más Madrid, although behind in votes. Since then, in Ferraz, the party’s national headquarters, he has been allowed to do so, but his opposition style, soft in its forms, has not convinced the leadership. In addition, the doubts he expressed about some of the recent measures taken by the Sánchez government, such as granting the amnesty law to the leaders of the process – about which he went so far as to say that there were “bad things” because intuitively it goes against what defines us as a society” –, or the new financing formula for Catalonia, have not pleased Moncloa either, which has led to a weakening of its figures. However, Lobato is convinced that none of his positions are in danger and that these are just baseless gossip.
In a recent interview with the Huffington Post, Lobato revealed his desire to repeat himself at the head of the PSM and assured that he had “no fear” of being removed from his position as spokesperson for the Madrid Assembly. “I do not do politics out of fear. I have a very clear commitment and a task that was entrusted to me two and a half years ago, which was to raise the game in Madrid at the worst moment in its history. After 30 years, I believe that it is time for us to treat the socialist voters in Madrid with respect and that finally, after 30 years, there will be at least one full legislature in which we will have the same party leader and the same spokesperson in the Madrid Assembly. “I think it’s already happening,” he said. According to him, it was “a mistake” to “change the leadership every two years or to elect a candidate six months before.” “People are not stupid and see that there is no seriousness” if these changes persist.
The Madrid socialist leader believes that there will be no “alternative candidacy” to that of the PSM delegates to go to the PSOE Federal Congress where Pedro Sánchez will be ratified. And he refuses to be considered a “critical” leader. “You can call me whatever you want. Do I criticize? Come on, I defended Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish government everywhere and all the time,” he defends himself in the interview.
To calm things down, the government delegate himself, Francisco Martín, came forward last week to assure that he “is not in any battle” to lead the PSOE in Madrid, stressing that “Juan Lobato is my regional secretary.” “I am not in any battle within the PSOE. “I am working to build the best project for the next electoral processes, supporting Lobato because he was part of the Regional Executive for a reason,” he said after the press conference he gave on the balance of crime in the region in the first half of the year.
The representative of the central government in Madrid insisted that everyone is working so that the PSOE Federal Congress “is a success and that Madrid’s contribution is the greatest possible.” “And that is my obligation as an activist. My secretary general is Juan Lobato and there is no general discussion about it,” he concluded.
