Patricia Guasp, new leader of Ciudadanos: "We are in a difficult moment, but our principles are neither sold nor bought"

With the polls against him, a recently completed re-founding and a muddy primaries, Ciudadanos looks out over the next few months with the challenge of rebuilding the party and facing the May electoral processes on the brink of disappearance.

But since the new executive they have not given up in their efforts to give the bell.

“I am aware of the enormous challenge of taking the reins of this party

From today we will only look forward.

We are in a difficult moment, but there is no better project", Patricia Guasp, the new leader of Cs, has maintained this Sunday, before the 500 delegates and senior officials of the formation that this weekend have concentrated in Madrid to celebrate their sixth general Assembly.

A conclave in which the hitherto unknown Guasp, a new political spokesperson, who wanted to end the previous stage —led by Inés Arrimadas— and claim as an option for the future against bipartisanship has been presented in society: “We have bad news For [Alberto Núñez] Feijóo and [Pedro] Sánchez, our principles are neither bought nor sold”.

Guasp's list won Edmundo Bal's candidacy in primaries on Thursday by 53.25% of the votes compared to the 39.34% that the parliamentary spokesman aroused.

And this Sunday, at the closing of the general assembly, he had to demonstrate before his own his abilities to get the party out of the deep crisis in which he is immersed.

Guasp's speech, about 45 minutes, has gone from less to more.

From his team they recognize that he will have to struggle and "go learning".

Guasp, also a spokesman for Cs in the Balearic Parliament, has started his intervention with a flat tone and without much force, with words of gratitude to his predecessors and to Arrimadas.

“I am proud of this project and thus I assume this enormous responsibility aware of the legacy we have”, he dedicated to her.

The outgoing president said goodbye on Saturday at the same lectern asking for "pardon" for the "mistakes of the past."

"You have earned a place in the political history of our country," Guasp recognized Arrimadas.

“I am convinced that in this new stage we will continue working together.

You from the spokesperson of Congress, playing that great role that we all recognize and defending a project that we share ”, added the new leader of Cs.

Her flattery has prompted a long standing ovation and has brought the audience to its feet.

New team, color and logo

Guasp was surrounded on stage by the thirty members of the new leadership, among whom was also Arrimadas, who comes out of the hard core of decision-making.

“We are not here to use politics.

This project is not a blank sheet, but a sheet at the service of the Spanish people.

This new image is accompanied by a new team, which will always listen to you.

This is my commitment”, Guasp continued.

The party has launched this Sunday the new corporate brand in which the group of the re-foundation has worked, which started in July, together with a consultancy.

As EL PAÍS announced, Ciudadanos adds the color dark green to orange in its new logo.

The choice of this tone is a nod to the colors used by the extinct Union of the Democratic Center (UCD), the formation of former President of the Government Adolfo Suárez.

New logo and colors of Ciudadanos.Ciudadanos

With a more effective and forceful tone, Guasp has vindicated the new Ciudadanos as the only possible option against radicalism, whether from the right or the left, and has harshly attacked both the PSOE and the PP.

“The legacy of this government will be unprecedented polarization and institutional deterioration.

But there is opportunity for change.

It is not enough just to throw Sánchez out as others want.

We need a new, liberal force, influencing the Government to improve it.

Spain also has negligent opposition.

A People's Party self-absorbed, stunned, in a waiting room to see when it is their turn to govern”, Guasp asserted, who has also censured Vox's “reactionary” measures.

After the refoundation, Ciudadanos is now looking for its space in a political context in which it has practically been expelled from the board, according to most polls, leaving behind the label of "subordinate" and marking distances with Vox.

In any case, sources from the new executive acknowledge that it will be extremely difficult to save the furniture in the regional and municipal elections.

"You have to be realistic," they say, still wanting to fight.

The executive calms down Bal

In the first row of the auditorium was Edmundo Bal, Guasp's opponent in the primaries, who appeared before the media minutes before the political spokesperson took the stand.

"There are hopeful signs in this Assembly because the candidacies that have won have had an outstretched hand with us," said the parliamentary spokesman.

The new general secretary, Adrián Vázquez, and the number two of Bal's candidacy, Santiago Saura, have negotiated in recent days how to translate the balance of forces to the party organs.

In addition to the executive, Ciudadanos has a general council, the highest body between assemblies, made up of about 125 members.

On other occasions, the dome used to transfer its power to this body with advisers from its string, but this was not the case this time.

In return, the internal battle – which worsened in the primary process – has calmed down.

The previous negotiation has led to a particularly calm assembly with respect to previous appointments, and in which neither Bal, nor those close to him, nor other critical members have left the mark during the conclave.

It was agreed to vote all together on both amendments and statutes.

"We came out reeling and with a more united party after all," they underline from the management.

Other sources from the executive point out, however, that they will not allow the spokesperson to become a free verse or a critical current within the organization.

“He is no longer in the executive.

If he had done another campaign, he would still have a hole.

He has to know his place”.

On Monday the continuity of Bal as parliamentary spokesman will be discussed at the first meeting of the permanent executive.

But the understanding reached this weekend between both sides, after responding hotly on Friday to the results, removes the possibility that Bal will be forced to leave office.

A decision that would also put the majority of the deputies, who are on his side, on a war footing.

"He is a great political asset even though he has not performed well in the campaign," they acknowledge from the executive.

contain the leaks

Ciudadanos had invited all the parties to their assembly, but only the PP has responded to the call.

Together with the delegates, the Deputy Secretary for Regional and Local Policy of the Popular Party, Pedro Rollán, has heard the attacks on his party and on Feijóo.

Among the obstacles for the new Ciudadanos is to contain the march of their positions since the formation has been suffering in recent months a constant trickle of departures towards the PP, aggravated by the spring elections.

“In the coming months we will attend some regional and municipal meetings and from that moment on, the possible relationships will be determined.

In any case, today is a day to respect the political formation", Rollán indicated when arriving at the assembly without wanting to refer to possible signings.