_
_
_
_

Nobody should draw political conclusions from assault, says PM

A day after being punched in the face by a youth, prime minister continues with campaign

Raúl Limón
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy at a Thursday rally in A Coruña.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy at a Thursday rally in A Coruña.Cabalar (EFE)

A day after being punched in the face by a youth in Pontevedra, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy called on people not to give the incident a political reading.

Early reports had claimed that the assailant had ties to the leftist party Podemos, which is set to come in third or fourth in Sunday’s general elections according to the last available voter intention poll. The emerging party has since denied these ties.

“I draw no political conclusions from this and I ask for nobody else to,” he said on the popular morning talk show Programa de Ana Rosa, aired on the private network Telecinco.

I am holding on to the positive”

Mariano Rajoy after being assaulted

“My cheekbone is a bit swollen. The doctor gave me a cream and a painkiller,” said the conservative leader, who has made several television appearances since the Wednesday incident to insist that this was an isolated case of violence.

“We are in a civilized country and we don’t deal with things by slapping one another in the face. This was an exception,” said the 60-year-old incumbent, who hopes to get re-elected to a new term in office at Sunday’s general election.

The first people he called after the aggression were his wife and children, whom he told that his campaign agenda would not change on account of the assault.

More information
Soccer hooligan behind PM attack
Video: Spanish PM punched in face while on campaign trail

On Thursday, the Popular Party (PP) leader greeted Twitter followers from his next campaign stop, Barcelona, with a “Still moving forward.”

Rajoy also thanked people for their show of support following the aggression, and said that this reaction is what he will take away from the incident. “I am holding on to the positive,” he said.

The conservative leader said he is optimistic about his chances on Sunday but would not discuss potential agreements with other parties in the likely event that his PP should lose its absolute majority.

“A minority government is complicated, and it is hard to get things like the budget passed,” he noted, after admitting that the last four years “have not been easy for Spaniards.”

English version by Susana Urra.

Tu suscripción se está usando en otro dispositivo

¿Quieres añadir otro usuario a tu suscripción?

Si continúas leyendo en este dispositivo, no se podrá leer en el otro.

¿Por qué estás viendo esto?

Flecha

Tu suscripción se está usando en otro dispositivo y solo puedes acceder a EL PAÍS desde un dispositivo a la vez.

Si quieres compartir tu cuenta, cambia tu suscripción a la modalidad Premium, así podrás añadir otro usuario. Cada uno accederá con su propia cuenta de email, lo que os permitirá personalizar vuestra experiencia en EL PAÍS.

En el caso de no saber quién está usando tu cuenta, te recomendamos cambiar tu contraseña aquí.

Si decides continuar compartiendo tu cuenta, este mensaje se mostrará en tu dispositivo y en el de la otra persona que está usando tu cuenta de forma indefinida, afectando a tu experiencia de lectura. Puedes consultar aquí los términos y condiciones de la suscripción digital.

More information

Archived In

Recomendaciones EL PAÍS
Recomendaciones EL PAÍS
_
_