Madrid's Aguirre avoids getting in a flap over joke Twitter feed

The premier of the Madrid region, Esperanza Aguirre, has one of the strongest presences in online social networks among Spanish politicians. On Twitter, only Spain's prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, the Basque premier Patxi López and Socialist big hitter Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba have more followers than "Espe," whose tweets are read by nearly 74,000 people.

But a satirical Twitter account that pokes fun at her occasionally outrageous statements has managed to double that figure in just two months. Its author, who asked for anonymity, named it @EspeonzaAguirre (peonza means spinning top in Spanish).

"The messages of @EspeonzaAguirre sometimes have greater political content than those of the actual premier," he told EL PAÍS. Sharp and scathing, these tweets use issues such as neoliberalism and privatization as inspiration for grotesquely humorous statements that get forwarded by hundreds of users.

Sporting over sidekick

In one message, the fictitious Espeonza writes: "So you're worried about pensions? Not me, I'm more into hotels! HAHAHA. Now seriously: the best thing to do with pensioners is to abandon them at gas stations." So what does Esperanza think about Espeonza?

Unlike a caricature of Spanish leader Mariano Rajoy (named Naniano Rajoy) that was axed during the campaign on request of the then-candidate, it looks like Aguirre will allow her online doppelgänger to live. A spokesman for the Madrid government said: "We are aware of it, and we're fine with its existence. We haven't asked for it to be removed or deleted."

"The premier has occasionally reported insults proffered by other accounts, but not this one. As long as they don't pass themselves off as her, she has no problem with it," says the same source. The only things about himself that Espeonza's creator will reveal is that he is a 35-year-old man who lives in Madrid, works in television and uses thick-rimmed glasses. Because of his "shyness" he answered questions from EL PAÍS through a questionnaire. He said that, just like the real Aguirre, Espeonza "is a conservative neoliberal who gets really worked up when she talks," and that his purpose is to paint a caricature of the hardest side of the center-right Popular Party.

Some people argue that Espeonza says what Esperanza does not dare say out loud. "Most of the time I say these crazy things that I hope the premier never thinks of herself," says the author.