Albiol vows to arrest criminals regardless of race

Albiol: "I don't care if they are black or white, I will arrest any incivil"

Some phrases age poorly; others are born old. Xavier García Albiol’s remark falls into the latter category: "I don't care if they are black or white, I will arrest any incivil." He said it amid the eviction of a squatted building in Badalona, which left 400 migrants homeless according to one participant, and was approved by a judge who mandated social support for those affected, according to another. Within hours, the quote went viral online, with some participants labeling Albiol a legend. Some celebrated him as the only viable politician; others saw him as the loose cannon the PP uses to attract undecided voters.

The eviction was the trigger. A building occupied for years, housing 400 people according to participants, plagued by bedbugs, rats, and neighbor complaints that accumulated without action. Albiol, who reportedly had personally gone to "desokupar" (evict) apartments before, led the operation. According to one participant, the judge gave the green light but imposed a condition: guaranteeing social assistance to those evicted. The opposition in Badalona, it is said, should experience what neighbors endured for two years. The result, per participants: hundreds sleeping on the streets and a flood of headlines.

Why does Albiol's phrase cause such controversy?

Because it touches a nerve we have struggled to address for years. On one hand, some argue that saying "I will arrest any incivil regardless of tonalidad" should be normal, not exceptional. "How bad things must be in this damn country for that statement to be groundbreaking," summarizes one participant. On the other, critics see the disclaimer "I am not racist" as a mandatory wink, a precept every politician must trinc to avoid being stoned. "That justification is unnecessary. It's time to be openly racist," snaps another, clarifying that the debate isn't about nuances.

The situation complicates when heritage enters the picture. "For every Albiol, there are ten thousand Guardiolas in the PP," someone remarks, recalling that the loose cannon is not the norm. Indeed, Albiol, with his tough rhetoric, has become Spain's little Trump for some and the only one fit to lead the P0P€ for others. The comparison with Guardiola, the coach, is no accident: the PP has its own idols and demons.

The eviction of the squatted building: chronicle of an announced conflict

The building was no ordinary structure. For two years, occupants lived with bedbugs, rats, and odors that neighbors tolerated with resignation. "It looked like the Royal Road Congolese version," describes one participant. The situation was unsustainable, yet nobody acted. Until Albiol decided enough was enough. According to one participant, the judge approved the eviction but required providing social attention to the 400 migrants. The result, per participants: an operation leaving hundreds on the street and an uncomfortable question: who takes charge now?

The answer arrived quickly. "Extreme concern for the 400 blacks left roofless. None of the tenant union members solidary with them offered their sofa for anyone to sleep on," ironically notes one participant. Solidarity, it seems, has limits. And those applauding the eviction do not offer shelter either. The problem, as always, is shifted.

What happens to the 400 evicted?

Matter is neither created nor destroyed, only moved. "Those 400 drug addicts, alcoholics, incivil, lazy people likely went to Barcelona or another big city where they are less visible. They didn't return to Africa, so the problem has spread," concludes one participant. The phrase, with all its weight, summarizes part of the debate: the eviction solves nothing, it just moves the problem elsewhere. Meanwhile, Badalona residents breathe easy, at least until the 400 settle in another neighborhood.

The core issue is whether Albiol has authority to arrest anyone. "Since when does Albiol have the power to arrest someone?" asks a participant. The answer is simple: he doesn't. Local police detain, they do not arrest. And a mayor's competencies regarding security are limited. But that matters little when selling a gesture. "Saying it without having the competence to do so is very easy," another concludes.

The PP and its loose cannons: strategy or conviction?

Albiol is not an isolated case. The PP has a long tradition of loose cannons, figures who deviate from the script to connect with voters who feel unrepresented by official discourse. "Loose cannons are a specialty of very large political parties, created and used to trap undecided, confused, and easily manipulated voters ahead of elections," analyzes one participant. It is a studied strategy, they say. But it no longer works. "Years ago, the seam broke, on both left and right, and these puppet-attractions have less influence on global electoral results, remaining limited to their small taifas or municipalities."

The comparison with Vox is inevitable. "Removing the PSOE gives the Government to the absorbeprepucios-Voxeros," someone snaps. And there lies the crux: Albiol, with his rhetoric, fishes votes in the hard-right pool without needing coalitions. But he also generates rejection in the center. "He is a loose cannon within the PP. I wish everyone were like him," says one participant. "What a disappointment. In the end, he is just a pepero," replies another.

Is Albiol Spain's little Trump?

The comparison with Trump is not gratuitous. Albiol shares with the former US president a taste for provocation, direct speech, and the ability to polarize. "Albiol on the path to becoming Spain's little Trump," they write. But he also shares limitations: an electoral ceiling that never breaks and mobilization capacity exhausted in his stronghold. Badalona is not the United States, and Albiol is not Trump. Yet the parallelism helps understand why his figure generates such fascination and rejection.

The debate over whether Albiol is a racist or a brave man is served. "I have nothing against blacks. My car is black. My dog is black. I am not a racist," some parody, recalling the disclaimer every politician must drop to avoid being stoned. The irony is evident: the phrase Albiol uttered to defend himself has become his caricature. While some acclaim him as a legend, others view him as an opportunist playing with fire.

The economic background of the eviction

Beyond political noise, the eviction has an economic reading. A building occupied for years in a depressed area of Badalona. 400 people living in inhuman conditions. Bedbugs, rats, odors. Neighbors, many workers with mortgages and low wages, enduring stoically. The eviction, with all its social cost, also frees up space that could be revalued. How much is a building in Badalona worth after an eviction? Who benefits from the operation? These are unanswered questions hanging in the air.

Social attention for the 400 evicted is not free either. Housing, food, legal aid. A cost falling on public coffers which, according to some, could have been avoided with more orderly migration policy. "If you see one poor person, you can help; if you see 400, flee," summarizes one participant. The phrase, with its crudeness, reflects an uncomfortable reality: solidarity has a limit, and that limit is usually the wallet.

Albiol's future: legend or mirage?

Albiol achieved something difficult: making everyone talk about him. His phrase, "I don't care if they are black or white," has become a mantra for some and anathema for others. But politics is a long game. And legends sometimes deflate as fast as they inflate. "He hasn't done absolutely anything and they already hang the legend label on him," complains one participant. "And this is the dissident forum?" adds, making clear not everyone agrees with the label.

What is clear is that Albiol put on the table a debate Spain has avoided for years: how is irregular immigration managed in municipalities? What is done with those occupying buildings? Who pays the social cost? These are questions without easy answers, and Albiol, with his direct style, forced many to take a stance. For better or worse, he is part of the conversation. And in politics, that is half the job.

Will Albiol be the next President of the Generalitat? Or remain just another loose cannon? Available data pointed to his electoral ceiling still being Badalona. But in politics, you never know. What is known is that his phrase is history. And that, like all historical phrases, it will be quoted for years. For better or worse.