Despite the undeniable data from the Catalan elections, in which the pro-independence movement lost its majority and the PSC of Salvador Illa emerged as the leading party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo is determined not to give up on the narrative that Pedro Sánchez is in bed with the separatists. As the countdown to the start of the European campaign begins, the PP leader is trying to dismantle the Socialist Party’s argument that, thanks to amnesty and relaxation policies, the independence process has been defeated at the polls. Feijóo claims that “the procés has not died because Sánchez needs it alive to survive in La Moncloa.” However, even within his own party, there is not full agreement on this idea.
Feijóo insists that the pro-independence movement is still alive and asserts that Pedro Sánchez will make Carles Puigdemont the President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, despite the Socialists winning the Catalan elections and Illa making strides towards forming alliances to be invested. He argues that Spain is on the brink of a great deception, orchestrated by the President, which will see power handed over to Puigdemont after the European elections. The PP leader warns his party members that the process will follow a pattern similar to what happened with the pardons, sedition repeal, and amnesty. Feijóo maintains that Sánchez will give the independence movement power that they did not receive from the voters, just as he did in the rest of Spain.
The PP does not have a unified stance on the outcome of the Catalan elections. Feijóo and Fernández disagree on the end of the procés, but both believe that Sánchez will continue to keep the independence movement alive through his alliances in Madrid. Some within the party, like Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, argue that the pro-independence cause has died at the polls, while others, like Xavier García Albiol, align with Feijóo in believing that the movement is still present. Regardless of internal differences, the indisputable reality is that the pro-independence parties have lost their majority in the Catalan Parliament for the first time in forty years.
Feijóo has not explicitly stated the PP’s role in the governance of Catalonia but has hinted that the party will not support Salvador Illa’s investiture, echoing statements made by Alejandro Fernández. The PP leader emphatically states that the party’s votes will not be used to deceive voters, unlike the Socialist Party’s actions. Feijóo has outlined the campaign strategy for the upcoming European elections, emphasizing a focus on criticizing Sánchez for his alliances with Catalan separatists, despite their diminished role in Catalan governance. The PP aims to send a strong message against Sánchez’s policies through a mobilization effort in Europe.
Feijóo’s speech at the executive committee meeting highlights the party’s dedication to challenging Sánchez’s alliances with the pro-independence movement and maintaining a stance against their inclusion in the governance of Catalonia. The PP aims to leverage the results of the Catalan elections in their favor for the upcoming European campaign, emphasizing the need to combat the influence of separatist movements and showing support for a united Spain. The party leadership is rallying its members to campaign vigorously in anticipation of the upcoming elections, urging unity and vigilance against the perceived threats to Spanish unity and stability.
