“Quiero hablar de tres cosas,” said Xavier García Albiol.
The party selected the Catalan city because polls indicate Vox is strong in Catalonia, where many parliamentary seats are decided. García Albiol has become a symbol of the state’s rejection of squatters and illegal immigrants.
“Spain deserves a government that does not rob,” said Alberto Núñez Feijóo, during his address to supporters.
The Partido Popular filled the Llefià neighborhood pavilion in Badalona, gathering roughly 1,000 attendees, many of whom arrived by bus. Organizers distributed Catalan and Spanish flags while reggaeton music played over the public address system.
Party staff directed attendees under the age of 40 toward the youth section behind the stage to frame the speakers visually. Feijóo delivered a speech focused on change and management, and criticized the general strike as an “electoral maneuver.” He defended the humble and working class against delinquents and a government that raises taxes, arguing that Spain deserves a government that “does not rob.”
Feijóo stated that the past decade has left both Catalonia and Spain paralyzed by single-issue politics: Catalonia by the independence process and Spain by the administration of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
García Albiol outlined his primary campaign themes in a bilingual address, focusing first on illegal squatters and undocumented immigrants before extending an invitation to voters across the political spectrum. The mayor obtained an absolute majority in Badalona—a historical stronghold for the PSC and PSUC—using similar messaging regarding local security.
Feijóo addressed immigration by demanding that foreign nationals respect local laws, integrate and “learn our language,” in singular. The remarks were delivered in Badalona to an audience largely composed of the children and grandchildren of Spanish-speaking migrants, who responded with applause.
