Between the wallet and life, it seems that the acting Government of the Community of Madrid was very clear since the pandemic broke out: it prefers the wallet. At this point, it is impossible to trust Ayuso's deranged plea to face the serious public health problem that affects Madrid, especially when, inexplicably, she has put the population in a bind by turning the old expression around, back when, used by highwaymen when robbing travelers: the wallet or life. There was no color; faced with a situation of clear threat, the wallet was handed over to preserve life.
That phrase has settled as a popular saying that expresses a tragic situation in which one has to lean towards one of two options, your possessions or your life. Ayuso and her acting government, formed by the extreme right, the ultra-right and the right, a year ago took out a blunderbuss as an argument to, in a perverse way, 'persuade' the population that they have to choose, and that the option is the materialism of the wallet over a supreme value such as life. Faced with this profoundly immoral proposal, others argue that we should not have to choose between health and the economy, but rather properly combine health with economic activity.
The Government of Pedro Sánchez has made it clear at all times and in many ways that it will not force any autonomous community to choose between the wallet and life, but has offered its means and resources to preserve public health and save lives, while guaranteeing education or enabling business and work activity until we overcome the health crisis. The Government of our country has not ceased in its efforts to sit down with the Government of Madrid with the purpose of helping to effectively combat the coronavirus, despite the drift of Isabel Díaz Ayuso and her cruel indifference when it comes to safeguarding health.
However, we must recognize that there is nothing like Madrid in our country, with the exception of Barcelona and its metropolitan area. It is estimated that Madrid's Gross Domestic Product in 2019 accounted for 19.3% of the whole of Spain, making it an economic centrality that attracts a significant flow of people who come to it daily to work. In addition, the continuum urban area formed by the capital of the State and the neighboring municipalities is home to 6.7 million inhabitants, which makes it the third largest metropolis in Europe. So Madrid is only comparable to London or Paris.
Ayuso, who is mortgaging her future by swallowing Ciudadanos and allying with Vox, proposes more of the same for the coming years: a resounding failure masked in a constant confrontation. However, there is an alternative. Faced with the false dilemma, the discourse of hatred and the archaic blunderbuss, Madrid needs health and economy; more doctors, more nurses and more health personnel; more public investment and more public health; more dialogue and more solidarity. But, above all, what Madrid needs is head, calm and good government.
