Spain’s Conservative People’s Party on Saturday elected Alberto Nunieth Feijo as its new leader, hoping to win back voters from the growing far right and consolidate its increasingly precarious position as the country’s main opposition force.
Feijo, who won 98.35% of the vote, was the sole candidate for the PP leadership after an internal scandal that ousted former leader Pablo Cassado and ousted the party, which for decades exchanged power with those in power. energy Socialists, in crisis. Read the whole story
The PP is losing ground to new parties that have sprung up after Spain’s financial crash, most notably the far-right Vox, which split from the PP in 2014 and is now the third largest force in parliament.
Feihu has led the northwestern region of Galicia for 13 years, winning four consecutive regional elections without losing a single seat to the far right.
“Thank you for electing me president of the PP. The really important thing now is to continue together so that the Spaniards can choose us for the future,” he told a party conference in Seville on Saturday.
Corruption scandals, which have plagued the PP for years, led in 2018 to the ousting of the party from power by a vote of no confidence.
In the last national elections, in November 2019, the PP barely won 5 million votes compared to the 10.9 million it had in 2011. The next elections are expected to be held at the end of 2023.
Instead, VOX came out of nowhere to get almost 3.6 million votes in 2019 and secured its first seat in regional government thanks to a coalition deal with the PP in Castile and Leon. Read the whole story
One of the main decisions Feihu has to make is whether to pursue political alliances with Vox or freeze it, as some voices within the PP are calling for.
A senior PP source said Vox’s divisive background meant that PP “did not give up trying to win back Vox voters”.
Feiju aims to expand its base to become a centrist party that brings together all views, the same source said, although it is unclear how he will achieve this goal.
Spain’s growing political fragmentation makes it difficult to regain majorities like those of the bipartisan years. In 2019, about 16 parties were represented in the lower house and since then more small groups have appeared.
Source: Capital
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
