The phrase by Xavier García Albiol, “We said we would remove these people and we have removed them,” summarizes his policy of fulfilling promises implacably, seeking the applause of residents in certain neighborhoods. The evicted building, which the mayor described as a “nest of problems,” will be used for a new Guàrdia Urbana police station.
“"We do not want them in Badalona. I say this without hesitation."
This attitude, while ideologically comfortable for Albiol, involves significant electoral calculation, as he detects that hostility towards newcomers and the most vulnerable is a mechanism that works in a system where many citizens feel neglected.
In contrast, left-wing parties, such as the socialist executives of the Moncloa, the Generalitat, and the Barcelona City Council, also seek easy electoral mechanisms, such as extending the public transport pass bonus. This measure, initiated due to the crisis caused by the Ukraine war, has become chronic.
The flat-rate bonus is seen as a populist measure that does not consider the user's income level, when resources should be allocated to improving the service and rethinking the fare system based on income. For President Pedro Sánchez, the extension is the only good news he can offer during a moment of acute crisis for the PSOE.
