The calls from the headquarters in Genoa to leaders of the PP of Catalonia have multiplied in the last few hours to gather all the possible information that will allow them to finally decide on the candidate for the Catalan elections. From this day-by-day analysis, a difficult and changing puzzle emerges. In this way, the pros and cons of Alejandro Fernández’s candidacy, which had gained momentum, are evaluated. An analysis not only in electoral terms, but of the future strategy in Parliament and within the party, where there are critical leaders. The Catalan leader’s bad relations with Alberto Núñez Feijóo.
In addition, other options remain on the table, especially at the moment that of Dolors Montserrat, spokesperson of the European Popular Party (PPE) group, and that of Manu Reyes, mayor of Castelldefels. Nacho Martín Blanco’s candidacy is also being studied, and as part of the negotiations taking place in Madrid with Ciutadans.
It’s been a week since President Pere Aragonès called the elections, and it’s time that also complicates how decisions should be made. If you opt for the Fernández relay, you are looking for exit scenarios with as few edges as possible. A relief may mean that a manager has to be appointed, since Alejandro Fernández is president of the party. The lack of concreteness of the project in Catalonia and the people who must lead it complicate the beginning of the campaign.
The discursive ability of the president of the Catalan PP is valued, but the public disagreements with Feijóo weigh heavily in Madrid. And within the Catalan PP there are also leaders who remember that in recent years he has not been involved in building the party, affected by a difficult situation. A few years, they indicate, in which he has not generated a party dynamic typical of a president, according to the sources consulted.
In this context of reviewing the political scenario, several questions are raised. Will Alejandro Fernández provide votes or will the PP provide them with another well-prepared candidacy? Do the constitutionalist organizations that have supported it have any mobilizing capacity? Are these close to the PP or Vox? Can a Feijóo-Fernández line of trust be established for the strategy in Parliament with a history of disagreements? These are questions that also have as a reference the horizon of the general elections and the gradual construction of a project of centrist Catalanism.
The president of the PP in Spain has placed several antennas in Catalonia to collect information. From the national management, Alejandro Fernández has also been contacted.
This difficult scenario has complicated public pronouncements. Yesterday, after the national management meeting in Madrid, there was no press conference. On the other hand, the spokesman, Miguel Tellado, did appear in Congress, who pointed out that Feijóo will choose the “best candidate”, but reminded that he is not in charge of this portfolio. He emphasized the importance of the Catalan elections and the need for the PP to become “the benchmark for constitutionalism”.
The popular are given, in principle, a few days to close not only the decision, but also how it can be staged.
