Zapatero says that Felipe González would have to "love" the PSOE more "now" because they supported him in difficult times

He responds to Page that for there to be a progressive line in State policies "you must have a Government of Spain"

MADRID, 10 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The former president of the Government José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has said that he and many socialist militants would like Felipe González to "love" the PSOE more "now" because he had support when he went through "very difficult times" during the period he was at the head of The Moncloa.

In an interview on the program 'Lo de Évole' on La Sexta, reported by Europa Press, Zapatero claimed that González "contributed a lot to this country" and that the PSOE "loves him", although he stressed that there are "many militants" those who would like him to want something more from his party.

"I think there are many militants who we would like him to love us more now. I honestly cannot understand him. Why? Because he also went through very difficult times and we all supported him," continued the former socialist leader, recalling that he himself was "a deputy soldier" of Felipe González, both "in the good and the bad."

In turn, asked about the criticism of the president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, of the amnesty law agreed by the PSOE with the pro-independence parties, Zapatero responded that in order for progressive state policies to move forward "there is have to have a socialist Government of Spain.

"For Spain and its community to follow the progressive line of reducing inequalities, of having infrastructure, of a financing system that helps the communities with the most difficulties to improve pensions, we must have a Spanish government," recalled the former socialist president to Page.

In this sense, he has stressed that the PSOE "is a democratic party" and that there is freedom of expression, so the criticisms of the president of La Mancha are legitimate. However, he has stressed that he "always" wants his party to win and that he cannot be happy that he loses as Page did after the Galicia election results, claiming that he was happy that former Catalan president Carles had not won. Puigdemont.

Regarding whether he fears a split within the PSOE, Zapatero has flatly stated that it has "145 years of history" and that it is the party that "has won elections the most times in Spain, that has governed the most in Spain." "Indisputable", he has settled.

The former socialist president has also spoken about how he experienced 11M, on its twentieth anniversary, recalling that in the hours after the attacks he visited several hospitals to find out about the situation of the victims and to find out the evolution of the investigation.

Among those visits, she recalled a group of young girls who told her "Zapatero, you have to bring the troops from Iraq." "It was a very shocking moment for me," he confessed, admitting that when he was sworn in as President of the Government and had to make that decision, the moment in the hospital always came to mind.

On the other hand, he has ruled out that the PSOE was behind the protest mobilizations on the street of Génova, in front of the PP headquarters, the day before the general elections after 11M. "Not at all, quite the opposite," he stated, ensuring that he spoke with his then Secretary of Organization, José Blanco, to ensure that there was no socialist leader at that concentration.

Furthermore, he has acknowledged that in the massive march that took place a day after the attacks, he already had "a fairly firm conviction" that it had been a jihadist attack, and not by ETA, as claimed by the PP Government led by José Maria Aznar.

Recalling some milestones of his Government when 20 years have passed since he won the general elections in 2004, Zapatero has claimed the end of ETA as one of the key moments, recognizing that there were members of the leadership of the terrorist organization who assured him in 2011 that the end of violence would be "forever."

"I always knew that it was forever. That day I was convinced, they assured me that it was forever," Zapatero explained, detailing that the Police, the ETA leadership and "people from Bildu", including its current coordinator, told him. , Arnaldo Otegi, who "worked intensely."