The Government surrenders to the ideological combat in Congress

Nadia Calviño, against the PP: "You want to dismantle the welfare state."

Irene Montero, against Vox: "These fascists are stopped with rights."

In the absence of Pedro Sánchez, on leave due to covid, it was his ministers who threw themselves this Wednesday at the neck of the opposition in the control session of the Government in Congress.

The Executive is no longer shy about admitting that, with the tax controversy on the table, what is being waged now is an ideological battle.

And everyone has gotten into the fray, including Calviño, first vice president and head of Economy, so often called a technocrat and who was perplexed this Wednesday when she heard Iván Espinosa de los Monteros, spokesperson for Vox, accuse her of being “ideologically radical ”.

The debate on taxes is an “ideological question”, in the words of the socialist spokesman, Patxi López, and the two blocks of the hemicycle have given everything to that fight.

The PP does not stop asking for discounts and this Wednesday it came with the trick of the initiative of the Valencian president, the socialist Ximo Puig, to announce relief in personal income tax for incomes below 60,000 euros, a proposal similar to the one that the popular had been weeks defending in Congress against the rejection of the Government.

The matter gave rise to the PP for ironies, such as that of the deputy Carlos Rojas before Calviño: “What are our proposals?

Ask Mr. Ximo Puig, who will still give you the answer”.

And for more direct attacks, such as that of Jaime de Olano against the third vice president, Teresa Ribera: “They are absolutely alone.

The Executive ignored the embarrassing Valencian initiative, which other socialist communities are also studying to put into practice, and persisted in its defense of the usefulness of taxes.

Calviño worked hard.

The popular ones were rubbed by the opposite reaction of the markets and international organizations after the new British conservative government announced a massive tax cut “like the one you are proposing”.

And he finished it off with a harshness that in another time - no longer - would have sounded strange to her: he maintained that the PP's project is to end the public welfare system.

The economic manager of the Government returned to the same idea at the intersection of her with the leader of Ciudadanos, Inés Arrimadas, also paid for tax reductions: “This Government has dedicated 30.

000 million to measures that reach 100% of Spaniards.

Where do you think this money comes from?

What do you think taxes are for?

What are they going to cut then?

Education, health…?”

In the weekly parliamentary battle, no one expressly alluded to the victory of the extreme right in Italy, although its echoes were audible in some speeches.

The word "fascist" ended up coming out of the mouth of the Minister of Equality, Irene Montero, while Vox, afflicted by his internal problems, took out his chest with a slogan: "In Spain and in Europe the time has come for patriots".

The phrase was inaugurated by Espinosa de los Monteros and then imitated by her partner Inés Cañizares, who starred in the most racy moment of the morning when she crossed with Montero.

Vox is determined to maintain that the minister defended pederasty, during an intervention in the Chamber last week, and has even denounced it in the Supreme Court.

The PP, which until now had not interfered in the controversy, brought the matter up this time, although in a condescending tone.

"Our group, with generosity, prefers to think that you made an unfortunate mistake," said the popular Marta González.

“But instead of rectifying, being humble, apologizing, he says that he is the subject of a campaign.”

Faced with the complaints of the also leader of Podemos that “political violence” is being exercised against her – she repeated it this Wednesday – González contradicted her: “It is not that, it is fed up with her occurrences.”

The popular one was succeeded by Cañizares, who has assumed great prominence in the Vox group after the departure of the wayward Macarena Olona.

And the festival began.

The minister, Cañizares sentenced, defends the "corruption of minors", because "that aberration seems normal to them" and is the result of the "dark desires of the radical left".

Montero, previously restrained with the PP, then drew the most combative profile of her.

She insisted that the only thing she has defended is sexual education in childhood and she sparked enthusiasm in the government caucuses when she recalled that Vox voted against investigating pedophilia in the Church.

Her auction was like a call-up: “I ask you to stop their feet.

Feminists and Democrats have to stop them.

And that we already approve the abortion law.

Because these fascists are stopped with rights”.

In case there was any doubt, he said it by extending his arm towards the Vox seats.

Those of Podemos stood up to applaud her.

In the last rows, where part of the deputies of the extreme right sit, a chorus arose: “Resignation!

resignation!".

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