PP leader urges socialists to let him govern, avoid pact with VOX

Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader and prime minister candidate of centre-right Partido Popular (PP), called on the Socialist Party (PSOE) on Tuesday to let him govern if he wins the upcoming general elections in Spain, saying this would prevent the far-right VOX from entering a future government.

At an event in Madrid to present PP´s election programme, Núñez Feijóo assured he would ask Spain´s acting prime minister and leader of the PSOE, Pedro Sánchez, or whoever replaces him in office after the 23 July election, to let him govern alone, for example by abstaining in his inauguration as prime minister of the country.

“I will call on the leader of the PSOE, whoever he is, to let me govern, and if he doesn’t, I will call on each and every one of his `barons´ (PSOE´s regional prime ministers) to convince him”, Feijóo assured.

After a crushing defeat of the Spanish left camp in the 28 May regional and municipal elections, the PP has concluded several pacts with VOX, including Valencia, Extremadura and the Balearic islands.

PP and VOX rule together in Castilla and León since March 2022 in a difficult political “cohabitation”.

If PP wins the national race, it would press the PSOE not to block a hypothetical investiture of Feijóo as prime minister to prevent him from having to conclude a pact with VOX.

However, PSOE sources quoted by Spanish media completely ruled out the idea.

PSOE´s current political strategy and that of its hypothetical future ally, the left-wing platform Sumar, are using the fear of the far-right as an electoral weapon to try to win more support.

Among his objectives, if he comes to power, Núñez Feijóo plans to have an Executive with 14 portfolios, a female vice-president and a female economy minister whose identity he did not disclose.

In the first three months, Feijóo wants to reduce taxes, particularly the personal income tax (IRPF) for those earning less than € 40,000.

In addition, he revealed that he will not repeal taxes on banks and energy companies, although he will repeal taxes on large fortunes, among other measures.

(Fernando Heller | EuroEFE.EURACTIV.es)