Alfonso Fernandez Manueco (PP) was the candidate for the Presidency. Francisco Igea, the Cs candidate, worked with Francisco Igea to end the coronavirus. Luis Tudanca, the PSOE candidate has blamed the two parties who were part of Board’s first five waves of “not focusing on the fight”.
This “face-to-face” took place during the first regional election held in the community, called by Fernandez Manueco in an extraordinary way in 2022 in the first block where the management of the pandemic has been addressed.
Francisco Igea, specifically, made a telematical intervention in the debate as he was positive about Covid. He recalled that he and Veronica Casado (Minister of Health) “fought” for material for the community in the midst of the pandemic. Fernandez Manueco has been made ugly by the leader of Ciudadanos “While you were hiding”.
He stated, “You were playing Sanchez. You are more’sanchistas’ than the sanchistas’ of this community.”
Fernandez Manueco, however, has accused Igea that Igea has a “very poor memory”. He has also reminded him of his visits to the Segovia and Soria hospitals during the height of the pandemic. After which, he recalled the nights spent with the general secretary of a financial institution to close the material acquisition operation at “four in the morning”.
“See if I can remember that you said that you had bakers’ hours,” Igea said. She has insisted Fernandez Manueco was “something different.” She reiterated, “To take photographs from time to time.”
Luis Tudanca the socialist candidate intervened. He said that although there was no government “focused” on fighting the pandemic, it was supported by the opposition with support, such as the Recovery Plan. After which, he insists that February 13th is an “opportunity to encourage a change within the community.”
This block was dominated by the Ciudadanos candidate lamenting that Fernandez Manueco had not “dare to look in the face” of Veronica Casado, former Minister of Health.
Fernandez Manueco, however, has defended the Board’s management of the pandemic, which included “economy” and “fight against the virus”. Fernandez Maneco stated, “We have acted efficiently from the administration, all autonomies have done greater for Spain than Sanchez. Public services have worked like clockwork.”
The Ciudadanos candidate used his speech to express his gratitude to Veronica Casado. “A good job was done in the pandemic,” he said. He referred to data like excess mortality, where the community stands at 19.8, as opposed to 21.5 in Spain and 35.5 Madrid. Igea referred to Isabel Diaz Ayuso’s Madrid model as “This is what he now claims for himself”
Luis Tudanca confronted this assertion and demanded that Manueco explains where he got the 1,600,000,000 euros the central government gave to the community for “improvement and protection” of public services.
“Castilla y Leon doesn’t deserve to have a President who doesn’t keep his promises, who laughs, and conspires to against public employees,” said the socialist leader. He took the opportunity to present some of his plans, such as his promise to “rebuild” community services with professionals.
The PP candidate answered the question of Tudanca by explaining that part of the money was used for the payroll of 15,000 health workers, professionals at the residences, material purchase, and plans of clash promotion from the social dialog –465 millions euros–.
Fernandez Manueco reiterated his resolve to return the 195 million euro that the Government has committed to the community following the VAT settlement ruling. This will be for the sectors most affected in the pandemic “forgotten by Sanchez”.
