María Jesús Montero, the socialist candidate for re-election in Andalusia, accused regional president Juan Manuel Moreno of seeking stability to continue privatizing public services. At a rally in Huelva with José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, they defended Pedro Sánchez's government management. Zapatero condemned the murder of children in Gaza, prompting public reactions.
After five days of election campaigning, María Jesús Montero hammered her charge of dismantling public services in Andalusia. She urged socialist militants to shake up the campaign to oust the right from the Palacio de San Telmo. At the Huelva rally, with about 700 attendees in a University of Huelva hall, Montero criticized Moreno for "wasting eight years in blank" and seeking a "blank check".
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero highlighted achievements like 22 million social security contributions, pension increases, labor reform, and minimum wage hikes. He recalled his legislative agenda, including the dependency law and same-sex marriage. "I don't know how one can live without condemning the murder of children in Gaza", Zapatero said, sparking anti-war chants from the crowd.
Montero accused the PP of lowering the campaign tone to keep progressives at home and mocked their "stability or mess" slogan. This marks Montero's second major event in Huelva since elections were called, following one with Pedro Sánchez on April 19 in Gibraleón. Huelva elects 11 deputies; polls indicate shifts in seats among PP, PSOE, Vox, and Por Andalucía.