Last Wednesday, at seven in the evening, the time when people are returning home from work and preparing to unwind until the next day, Pedro Sánchez, angered and/or depressed by the harassment of his wife by the right-wing, decided to disappear from the city, the country, and the world without a trace until further notice. He wrote a letter in his own handwriting filled with grammatical errors and scanned it. He attached it to a tweet from his official account as President of the Government on the social media platform X. He then retreated to reflect on his future and that of Spain until Monday, leaving his party, government partners, opposition, and all his fellow citizens at a loss without taking sides. This sparked five days of speculation and analysis by pundits trying to understand Sánchez’s mindset, and even his supporters felt embarrassed watching ministers weeping like groupies begging the leader not to leave them alone and defenseless against the enemy.
At 11 am on Monday morning, the ghost reappeared in a grand manner. “Good afternoon,” Sánchez said to Spain as a whole, showing that he sets his own schedule even on other people’s watches. Since the days of the pandemic when he appeared every Saturday to inform the public whether they could go out for bread alone or with company, there hadn’t been such anticipation for his address. He did what he does best: maintain the narrative tension without revealing his decision until the last moment to keep the audience engaged. He stated that he would continue because if he didn’t, the “bad guys” would win, and his supporters wouldn’t be able to survive without him. The President’s vulnerability has been exposed to both his rivals who have identified his weak spot and his allies who have realized they cannot rely on him for everything, even to wake up in the morning without warning.
It is possible that the President is a sensitive and loving man who is struggling with the harassment of his wife. A politician can also break down, pause to think, fall and rise multiple times on a public platform without hesitation. However, if he was truly struggling and unable to cope, he could have simply walked away with his family without keeping everyone in suspense. Pedro has decided to stay, and while some may rejoice, it brings to mind the old saying that graveyards are filled with indispensable people. The events from Wednesday to Monday have been a rollercoaster of emotions, but as life goes on, people will return to their daily routines and responsibilities after the initial reactions and debates settle down.
The immediate impact of these events is what affects people the most. The uncertainty and tension created by Sánchez’s disappearance and subsequent return have captured the attention of the public and media. As the news unfolds, reactions will range from euphoria to anger among supporters and detractors. However, as time passes and people resume their daily lives, the focus will shift away from this incident. While the emotions and opinions may be strong now, they are likely to fade as people move on to other concerns and priorities. In the end, life goes on, and events like these, while significant in the moment, eventually become part of the past.
