Antonio Maestre on the left's election campaign: just let Feijóo talk

Antonio Maestre argues that the left's best election campaign is to let Alberto Núñez Feijóo talk a lot and always say what he thinks. The idea rests on the fact that every public statement from the PP leader forces him to explain uncomfortable positions.

The left's election campaign has a plan that requires no budget or posters: let the opponent talk. That is the thesis **Antonio Maestre** put forward on the social network X: "The left's best campaign is to let Feijóo talk a lot and always say what he thinks." The phrase sums up a strategy of contrast: the more the PP leader is exposed, the easier it is for voters to compare.

## The logic of letting the rival talk

The logic is simple and as old as politics itself. If the opponent defines himself in public, every definition becomes campaign material for the other side. Maestre is not calling for attacks or adverts: he is calling for exposure. He wants **Alberto Núñez Feijóo** to appear, answer and reveal himself. The left, under this scheme, wins through apparent passivity.

The problem with this strategy is that it depends on the rival making mistakes. If the PP leader gets it right, the tactic backfires on whoever designed it. And if the debate focuses on sensitive social issues, the cost can outweigh the benefit.

## The statements that fuel the thesis

Maestre's idea does not float in a vacuum. In an interview with **Cadena Ser** (a Spanish radio station), Feijóo questioned the right to abortion, cast doubt on the euthanasia law, got tangled up talking about the **SMI** (Spain's minimum wage) and described **Javier Milei**'s economic policy as sensible. Four different fronts in a single appearance.

This kind of statement reinforces Maestre's thesis: every answer from the PP leader opens up a new flank. Abortion and euthanasia mobilise left-wing voters. The minimum wage affects low-paid workers. Milei appeals to an electorate that distrusts the PP's economic discourse. The left's campaign, on this reading, only has to wait.

## The risk of the rival not making mistakes

No strategy comes free. Relying on the other side's errors hands the initiative to the opponent. If Feijóo moderates his tone and avoids the issues that wear him down, the left's campaign is left without ammunition. And if the debate shifts to ground where the PP feels comfortable, the calculation is reversed.

Spanish politics has shown that campaigns are won both by what the rival does and by what one avoids. Letting the other side talk is a gamble. It may pay off. It may also prove costly.