Feijóo, after the electoral advance: "We have only begun. Sanchismo has not yet been repealed."

Alberto Núñez Feijóo has not been able to oppose the electoral advance that he himself had asked Pedro Sánchez for months. "Better, as soon as possible," acknowledged the leader of the PP on Monday in an appearance at the headquarters of the PP three hours after the President of the Government announced that he dissolves the Courts and calls the general elections for next July 23, as a result of the defeat of the left in the municipal and regional elections. Feijóo has been satisfied with the appointment with the polls after the "clear victory of the PP" on Sunday, although he has criticized that, with this movement, Sánchez intends that the results of 28-M "go unnoticed" and, in addition, the call for the generals will affect the presidency of Spain of the European Union. The leader of the PP is propelled towards La Moncloa with his triumph in these regional elections, but at the same time he is aware that he still has to overcome the most important test. "We've only started. Sanchismo has not been repealed yet," Feijóo warned his people.

More information

Key dates of the general elections of 23-J

That test is the general elections, whose campaign will coincide with the negotiation of the pacts to govern autonomous communities and municipalities, in which the PP depends on Vox. Feijóo has already held a first telephone conversation with the leader of the far-right party, Santiago Abascal, this morning, but in which, according to the PP, they have not yet talked about those agreements. "We have crossed congratulations. He has congratulated me for the results and I too, they have grown a lot compared to the last municipal, "revealed the leader of the PP in his appearance in Genoa in which he has not specified what his policy of pacts will be. The PP needs Vox to govern in six autonomies and in a few City Councils. Feijóo has suggested that he will offload the negotiation with the extreme right on the territorial leaders, although it has not been conclusive and has not been completely ignored. "Tomorrow we have a national board of directors, where we will analyze the results. From tomorrow's gross analysis, then we will make a finer one in the communities and municipalities. It is up to the autonomous communities to make this analysis. We are going to be respectful of the competences of each one and with the reality that emerges from the polls."

The leadership of the PP has long been aware that Vox will intend to engage in a national negotiation, which Feijóo is not interested in because he does not want to be tainted with agreements that clash with his proposal for a "moderate" PP with which he wants to present himself to the generals, as he has insisted since election night. The leadership believes that, in any case, now a different scenario opens with the electoral advance and they will try to postpone the negotiation with the ultras until after the appointment with the polls, according to some sources of the steering committee.

For that, Feijóo needs to gain time and for that he has insisted on his proposal that the most voted list be allowed to govern, an approach that benefits him after the results of this Sunday, because the PP has won in most places. "For me that proposal does not expire. If the PSOE accepts it, I am in a position to be able to agree to it. We should reflect if that can be a manual of conduct for the formation of governments, "reflected the leader of the PP, who with the offer to let the most voted list govern would only risk power in Extremadura, where the PP has not been the first force, but adds a majority with Vox. The Extremaduran leader of the PP, María Guardiola, has no intention of letting the PSOE govern even if it is the most voted force, and has asked this morning the abstention to the Socialists to govern.

The president of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo before the press conference on Monday. Alvaro Garcia

Feijóo now has to face the crossroads of the agreements with Vox, aware that the left will use them to try to ballast his expectations for the generals. Abascal has already warned that he will assert his votes and will not give them to the PP. In some places the challenge is especially difficult, as in the Valencian Community, where the leader of Vox in that community, Carlos Flores, is convicted of gender violence to his ex-wife and in the PP they recognize that accepting him as a hypothetical vice president is "more than a frog". The popular will try to force the machine with the ultras and not put them in their governments, but Vox will also pull the rope. A dog-faced struggle is now opening up between the two parties.

The PP leadership did not expect the electoral advance, with which it believes that Sánchez has sought to eclipse his bad results this Sunday. Feijóo has therefore endeavored to remember that the PP has been imposed this May 28 in nine autonomous communities and 31 provincial capitals and to insist that "Spain took the first step yesterday to open a new political cycle." The battle of the narrative has begun, and the PP wants to install the framework that the left has no option in the general elections of July 23. "The Spaniards have said enough, so far we have come," said Feijóo, who has already presented himself as a candidate for the presidency of the Government. "I ask for a clear, incontestable and forceful majority to start a new course," urged the leader of the popular urging citizens to give him a broad result so as not to have to govern with Vox. With the extrapolation of the results of the municipal, however, the PP would become the party with the most seats, with 143 deputies, but would not add an absolute majority with Vox: both would remain in 158 seats, far from the 176 that give the investiture. Feijóo has warned his people, therefore, that they have taken the first step to remove the left from power, but there is still the most important battle: the one that will be fought this summer.

The president of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, after the press conference on Monday. Alvaro Garcia

Follow the keys of the campaign with the Electoral Diary bulletin.

75% discount

Subscribe to continue reading

Read without limits

Read more

I'm already a subscriber