The surprise advancement of the Catalan elections has caught Alberto Núñez Feijóo off guard and unprepared in Catalonia. The leader of the PP has been delaying the decision regarding the leadership of his Catalan party for months, which also impacts his project for Catalonia after two years of recurring setbacks as the national leader of the PP. Now, with the Catalan elections already scheduled for May 12, Feijóo is faced with the dilemma of forcing a change or sticking with continuity. Currently, the signals being sent by the party are confusing and muddled. The national party leadership would prefer a change in the current president of the Catalan PP, Alejandro Fernández, who has challenged Feijóo on sensitive issues such as contacts with Junts. However, they are uncertain about their next steps as they risk internal turmoil just two months before the elections.
The PP leadership avoided confirming Fernández as the candidate on Thursday, despite the fact that the parliament lawmaker is already acting as if he were. This lack of support, especially as the pre-electoral campaign has already begun, is justified by ongoing negotiations with Ciudadanos to integrate their leaders into the PP lists. However, this integration should not necessarily mean that Fernández would not remain the lead candidate. The reality is that the national leadership in Genova has been wanting a replacement for their leader in Catalonia for some time, but have not been able to force it due to Fernández threatening to cause internal conflict. The issue now is that any internal clash so close to the elections would be seen as a party suicide by most party members.
A prominent figure in the Catalan PP with strong ties to the national leadership describes the current confusion surrounding the PP’s campaign in Catalonia as, “It is possible that Alejandro Fernández remains as the candidate, but it is not certain either.” The confusion has caused discomfort within the Catalan PP, as they lament that the national leadership is creating unnecessary problems just as electoral expectations are on the rise. Feijóo faces the challenge of potential clashes with Fernández, as some of the replacement candidates he has considered would leave significant gaps in their current responsibilities, adding to the complexity of the situation.
Genova has been engaged in discreet dialogue in Catalonia with various party and societal actors to create a new project for the PP in Catalonia to represent the “constitutionalist” space. The leadership first wanted to define their project in Catalonia before selecting the lead candidate, with the final say on the candidate in Catalonia resting with the national electoral committee. The party itself may keep Fernández as the leader, without being able to remove him. In addition to the confusion over the lead candidate, the PP is considering a joint candidacy with Ciudadanos in the Catalan elections and the European elections in June, aiming to absorb the party’s Catalan roots and heritage in Catalonia.
The absorption operation with Ciudadanos had been in progress for the European elections, with advanced talks between PP’s Esteban González Pons and Cs’ Adrián Vázquez. However, with the early Catalan elections, the strategy has been refocused to finalize a comprehensive agreement. The pact with Ciudadanos provides a runway for changing the lead candidate with Fernández being informed and seemingly in agreement with the agreement being orchestrated from Madrid. Feijóo must now convince the president of the PP in Catalonia to step aside, as time is running out for decisive action.
