Pedro Sánchez welcomes 50 members of the public to 'talk about their concerns' in person

NATIONAL president Pedro Sánchez will open his 'house' to 50 members of the public, unconnected to any political or administrative body or major corporation, to discuss their main concerns.

Today (Monday) sees the hand-picked, anonymous group take a tour of the Moncloa Palace, the official presidential residence and offices, and will also be invited to share their worries – part of a bid to connect with the grass roots of the nation.

Clearly, the aim is also to work towards drumming up votes in November 2023 when the next general election is scheduled, by devising policies that will most respond to the electorate's needs.

It has not been confirmed whether all 50 attendees are Spanish nationals, but only citizens of any country are permitted to vote in general elections in any case, however long they have been living and working in their adopted land.

Over the four years since Pedro Sánchez and the socialists (PSOE) took up office, before and after the November 2019 elections which led to their governing in coalition with left-wing independent party Podemos, the Moncloa has received around a quarter of a million letters from members of the public – by email and mainstream post – and it is their authors who have been chosen to meet their leader.

To this end, 50 of the quarter-million correspondents will be able to elaborate on their written words to the president.

The talks will be moderated by journalist Carme Chaparro, who is covering the reopening of Parliament after the summer break.

These meetings with ordinary, everyday members of society to mark the start of the new political year are completely unprecedented – usually, Sánchez starts September with conferences given to the IBEX-35, Spain's largest companies or the top 35 in terms of capital and turnover.

But the presidential offices are not entirely an 'ivory tower': Via the scheme Moncloa Abierta ('Open Moncloa'), small numbers of the general public have been invited on a handful of occasions to visit the seat of government, taking a guided tour.

Some of the 50 visitors and speakers chosen from the quarter of a million letters Sánchez has received in four years had expressed an interest in their missives in joining in the Moncloa Abierta programme.