A birthday party

Alberto Núñez Feijóo has the congress of his dreams. Something like a birthday party where every detail is designed to please and satisfy the protagonist. Nothing can overshadow his joy and conviction that he is a truly special person. None of the classic annoyances that can mar a congress celebration—the bitter ideological and organizational debate, the discontent, the critics, the doubters, or just plain annoying people—are present or expected. Only the elevation of the leader and the acronyms. And also a collective conviction that permeates the atmosphere: Pedro Sánchez has two newscasts left, maybe three.

Feijóo has won the lottery. Not the big prize, as that requires winning an election, being invested, and ending up sitting in the Moncloa Palace. But he has indeed won a generous prize. Having your congress coincide with your opponent's worst political moment is more than you can ask for. And that's what explains why yesterday's opening day saw more talk about the PSOE and Pedro Sánchez than the PP.

Every detail of this congress is designed to please its protagonist.

Yesterday was the day of Alberto Núñez Feijóo's opening act. And they all agreed on one idea: the PP is not seeking revenge or engaging in sectarianism of a different nature than that practiced by the PSOE. The president of the congress, Xavier García Albiol; the outgoing secretary general, Cuca Gamarra; and former prime ministers José Maria Aznar and Mariano Rajoy, all without exception, insisted on the need to tear down the wall that Pedro Sánchez has erected between the Spanish people, build bridges, and govern from a central position.

To tell the truth, so many references to bridges, coexistence, and the demolition of walls sit uneasily with the aggressiveness of some speeches, especially Aznar's, who didn't use a single phrase that wasn't a stab at Sanchismo or sovereignty. He turned his speech into a socialist and nationalist meat grinder. But he garnered the most applause and didn't pull any punches. In plain English: no to a plurinational Spain, no to federalism, and no to Spain as a nation of nations. If Aznar played Aznar, Rajoy played Rajoy. More serene, less aggressive, but equally tough at heart.

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The central thesis that the PP intends to promote at this congress is this: Spain is sinking, and only the PP and Alberto Núñez Feijóo are in a position to save it. This is a national emergency: us or the end of the world. A call, as if we were already campaigning, to every useful voter who wants to overthrow Sanchismo. From the right to the left, including the center. So, don't even mention VOX. What it's all about is building an imaginary in which Feijóo can govern alone, or with minimal support. Because between him and the end of the world, the Spanish people elect him en masse, obtaining an overwhelming majority. A good plan. Except VOX exists.