Feijóo presents some lists for the generals designed to widen the PP in the center and make a government

Alberto Núñez Feijóo finalized and presented this Wednesday the alignment with which he aspires to turn the Popular Party, once again, into the majority formation in Congress. Some lists designed with the electoral victory and the formation of the Government as a goal, marked by renewal but also by the integration and inclusion of proper names from Citizens. Some plates that, in short, outline the strategy of the popular leader to try to reach La Moncloa by widening the party in the center and leaving a clear mark on the still hypothetical change of cycle.

Of the candidacies, until Tuesday, only the number one and some starting position are known. Now it is confirmed that the rest of the lists follow the dynamics of the renewal and are, according to party sources, the most “transversal” to date presented by the PP. “Feijóo has worked,” they say, “to cover all flanks.”

The popular president kept the secret until the end: his ticket for Madrid, number two on the list that he heads, and which is held by Marta Rivera de la Cruz, former Minister of Culture of the Community of Madrid and former leader of Ciudadanos. A coup de effect that completes the impact caused on Monday by the news that Nacho Martín Blanco, also a member of the orange formation until a few days ago, would be the candidate for Barcelona.

Rivera learned this Wednesday that he would accompany Feijóo on the list. His leap into national politics is a nod to both Isabel Díaz Ayuso -the list also includes Eugenia Carballedo, president of the Madrid Assembly, as number four-, as well as José Luis Martínez Almeida, with whom Rivera ran as number three on 28-M. The commitment to culture -Borja Sémper or Jaime de los Santos also meet this profile- is a dart to the left, in balance with the deep economic character of many of the candidates: “We are not going to leave a single flag to defend” , warn in Genoa.

These will not be the only two signings from the liberal sphere: Aurora Nacarino will occupy the 14th position for Madrid, Ruth Goñi the second for the Senate and Lluís Huguet will be the top of the Congress list for Tarragona.

The candidacy also conveys a clear message in an economic key with the presence of Pablo Vázquez, former president of Renfe and head of the party foundation. And politics, with names like Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo, sixth for Madrid, or Carlos Aragonés, Aznar's chief of staff in the presidency of the Government, who ranks ninth.

In addition, Feijóo recovers veteran parliamentarians to provide a plus of experience to his future parliamentary group; This is the case of Rafael Hernando, former popular spokesman in Congress and member of the Senate Board in this legislature, as number two for Almería, or Carlos Floriano, former deputy general secretary of the party, also second for Cáceres.. And it keeps historical names such as Javier Arenas or Fernando Martínez Maíllo in the Senate.

Form Government

In addition to all this, the lists send another message: Feijóo's conviction that he will be able to form a government. It is in this key that some positions that have attracted attention for not being on the starting court are interpreted.

These are the cases, for example, of Mario Garcés, who does not appear on the plates; Elvira Rodríguez or Gabriel Elorriaga, both located in backward positions in the candidacy for Madrid. The three have extensive management experience and prominent party sources frame them in the field of a future Executive. This key also explains the inclusion as number two by Alicante of the independent Joaquín Melgarejo, one of the leading experts in water policy, professor and defender of the Tajo-Segura transfer.

Also in the orbit of a future Government, the inclusion in the candidacy of Feijóo's chief of staff, Marta Varela, who is already predicted to have a main position in the Presidency, is interpreted; that of its Projection and Image coordinator, Mar Sánchez, or that of the director of Communication of the PP, Luis de la Matta.

The design of the lists tries to “group and widen in the center”, explain voices familiar with the selection process. Some transversal candidacies to strengthen Feijóo's purpose of expanding the popular brand in the midst of a wave of accusations from the left after the pact reached between the PP and Vox in the Valencian Community. “In the PSOE they are baffled,” they say in the popular ones.