Spain to Hold Election Campaign Entirely Inside a Replica of Puigdemont's Waterloo Office
In an unprecedented move, Spain's general election campaign will be conducted entirely from a full-scale replica of Carles Puigdemont's Waterloo office, with all candidates required to speak from behind a replica desk.
The Spanish general election campaign will be conducted entirely from a full-scale replica of Carles Puigdemont's Waterloo office, the Central Electoral Commission announced today. Every candidate, from Pedro Sánchez to Santiago Abascal, must deliver all speeches, debates and press conferences from behind a replica of Puigdemont's desk, which has been installed in 52 provincial capitals at a cost of 3.4 million euros.
The replica includes a working espresso machine, a stack of Belgian newspapers and a window overlooking a painted backdrop of the Waterloo skyline. «We are simply ensuring that the campaign reflects the true parliamentary arithmetic,» said a commission spokesman. «If the legislature began in Waterloo, it is only logical that the campaign should be conducted there as well.»
Vicente Vallés, anchoring the evening news from a replica desk of his own, described the arrangement as «a very hard campaign» and noted that Puigdemont himself has been asked to rate each candidate's performance from his actual office in Waterloo. Candidates who fail to meet his standards will be required to repeat their speeches until they achieve a passing grade.
The first debate is scheduled for next week, with all podiums replaced by replicas of the same desk. Sánchez has reportedly requested a standing desk, a request currently under review.
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