Alberto Núñez Feijóo has begun to clarify some uncertainties of the lists of the Partido Popular for the general elections on November 29, but keeps a good part of the candidacies under wraps. While the national leadership confirms its top candidates in different provinces, Madrid has become one of the main focal points of attention: there are numerous candidates for positions that could be fewer than three years ago.
The president of the PP will head the Madrid candidacy and this Tuesday has given several clues on COPE about who will accompany him as number two. Feijóo has described a woman who voted against the amnesty and requested the appearance of the director of the National Intelligence Center (CNI) in the Official Secrets Commission of Congress. Both references point to Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo, whom the popular leader has defined as a "predictable" and "honest" politician, who "does not say one thing and do the opposite".
The statements have cleared up a good part of the uncertainty about the second position of the Madrid candidacy. The complete list, however, remains pending for the PP to finalize and formally announce the order of its members.
At the close of the editorial, the Partido Popular confirmed Ana Vázquez as the number one deputy for Ourense.
Madrid: many candidates for the top positions
The Madrid list concentrates interest because the number of seats that the PP obtains will condition the possibilities of its candidates. In the general elections of 2023, the popular party achieved 16 deputies from Madrid. The growth of Vox introduces uncertainty about the distribution and leaves open the possibility that the PP may achieve less representation. The hypothesis of staying at 14 seats circulates as a possible scenario, but there is no closed projection that allows it to be taken for granted.
In that context, the top positions have become the object of numerous predictions. In addition to Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo, Alma Ezcurra, Borja Sémper, and Alberto Nadal appear, along with other national leaders and profiles linked to the Madrid PP. Jaime de los Santos, deputy secretary of Education, has also been mentioned as a possible member of the candidacy.
Alma Ezcurra, MEP and Deputy Secretary of Sectoral Coordination, had appeared as one of the alternatives to accompany Feijóo. Her prominence in the team of the popular president and her responsibility in the preparation of the electoral program have placed her at the center of internal conversations. Borja Sémper, national spokesperson and Deputy Secretary of Culture, and Alberto Nadal, economic responsible of the party, also figures among the names being considered.
The candidacy could also incorporate some regional councilor who aspires to make the leap to Congress, although for now their identity and the position they would opt for have not been publicly disclosed.
Not everyone will fit in the top positions. If the PP obtains fewer seats than in 2023, the struggle for the outgoing positions will gain importance and will force some of the candidates to be left out of that segment. For now, Génova has not announced the final order of the complete list.
Susana Camarero, among the candidates for Valencia
The uncertainties are not limited to Madrid. In the Valencian Community, names are also circulating for a candidacy in which Alberto Núñez Feijóo is directly intervening. Susana Camarero, first vice president of the Valencian Generalitat, is among the options being considered to head the list for Valencia.
According to the information published about the internal conversations of the Valencian PP, Camarero would be interested in returning to Congress. However, her possible incorporation is not confirmed and she competes with other alternatives that also appear in the running, such as Belén Hoyo and Gerardo Camps.
The renewal of the lists also affects Alicante and Castellón. Among the names that have been published for those provinces are César Sánchez and Macarena Montesinos for Alicante, and Alberto Fabra and Óscar Clavell for Castellón. These are possibilities that remain pending the final decision of the national leadership.
The preparation of the candidacies thus combines the continuity of leaders with parliamentary experience, the incorporation of profiles from the team closest to Feijóo, and the aspirations of regional leaders who could make the leap to national politics.
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Aragón already has its three heads of list
While Madrid and Valencia are still pending to resolve some of their main uncertainties, the PP announced this Tuesday its candidates for the three Aragonese provinces. Ana Alós will head the list for Huesca; Rocío Dívar, for Zaragoza; and Alberto Herrero, for Teruel.
Alós is the general secretary of the PP of Aragon and a deputy in Congress. Dívar, until now a senator and deputy general secretary of the party in the community, will make the leap to the Lower House. Herrero, mayor of Calanda and deputy, will repeat as head of the list for Teruel.
The three appointments are added to the list of candidates already announced by the party and confirm that Génova is advancing in the preparation of the provincial candidacies while keeping other negotiations open.
The first row of Feijóo fuels the speculation
The expectation for the candidacies coincides with the event held by Feijóo at the Espacio Larra, where he gathered 550 PP leaders and placed 14 names in the front row that have fueled speculation about the possible members of a future popular Government.
As already published by DEMÓCRATA, the disposition of those leaders has rekindled speculation about who could be part of the Executive if the PP wins the elections. However, presence in that front row does not guarantee either a specific position on the lists or a ministry.
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The first confirmed heavyweights by the PP
In addition to the three Aragonese candidates, the PP has already communicated several heads of list. Miguel Tellado will run for A Coruña; Ester Muñoz, for León; Cuca Gamarra, for La Rioja; Elías Bendodo, for Málaga; Juan Bravo, for Sevilla; and Carmen Fúnez, for Ciudad Real.
They are joined by Xavier García Albiol for Barcelona, Ángela Pumariega for Asturias, Jon Echeverría for Guipúzcoa, Iñaki Oyarzabal for Álava, Roger Melero for Lleida, Diana Moya for Girona, and Mónica Landete for Tarragona. In the Senate, Alicia García will head the candidacy for Ávila.
The national leadership has the final word on lists that are negotiated with the territorial organizations. The timing of the announcements fuels uncertainty among deputies and senators who aspire to repeat, while published information points to a renewal of several candidacies.
The calendar leaves little room: the deadline to submit the lists to the electoral boards ends on October 26 and the proclamation is scheduled for November 2. Until then, Feijóo must resolve the pending uncertainties and decide who will occupy the positions with the best chances of obtaining a seat.