Manuela Carmena, a 71-year-old former judge, took up her post as mayor of Madrid back in June. Carmena, who campaigned with the support of the anti-establishment Podemos party, recalls her surprise election victory.
"For me, the first thing is transparency and being close to people. During the election campaign, we decided not to hold rallies, but meetings, meetings where we talked with people", she told FRANCE 24.
"We were looking for a different way to build relationships with citizens. Not the traditional political rally, where sermons are reeled off. We wanted that to be different. For me, politics is all about listening. Along with that, there’s transparency. Everything we do needs to be observed as if it was through glass".
>> Read FRANCE 24's article: Leftist ‘hugging grandma’ Carmena sworn in as Madrid mayor
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