_
_
_
_

New election, new strategy: Spain¡¯s center-right parties change their message

Ciudadanos is now open to deals after shunning the Socialist Party for months, while the Popular Party is focusing on the economy ahead of the November 10 repeat vote

Albert Rivera (c), leader of Ciudadanos, in Madrid.
Albert Rivera (c), leader of Ciudadanos, in Madrid.David fern¨¢ndez (EFE )

As Spaniards gear up for a repeat national election following months of parliamentary stalemate, political parties are redesigning their campaign strategies ¨C some very noticeably so.

Ciudadanos (Citizens), which started out as a liberal reform party but veered to the right ahead of the April 28 election, is now back where it was seven months ago. Party leader Albert Rivera on Saturday surprised supporters by announcing that he is lifting the ¡°veto¡± on doing deals with the Socialist Party (PSOE) that he introduced in February of this year.

We¡¯re back at the political center

Ciudadanos senior official

Ciudadanos¡¯ months-long refusal to negotiate with PSOE leader Pedro S¨¢nchez, who won most votes at the April election but lacked a majority to form a government, triggered resignations by four senior party officials who disagreed with Rivera¡¯s shift to the right. And a majority of polls show a drop in voter support for Ciudadanos (of around three points, according to an average calculated by EL PA?S) compared with April, when it was the third most-voted party.

Speaking to a crowd of supporters at a Madrid auditorium, Rivera on Saturday unveiled a list of 10 socially oriented reforms that he would like to enact through a broad agreement with Spain¡¯s ¡°constitutionalist¡± forces, i.e. parties that respect the Spanish Constitution, as opposed to those that support unlawful breakaway bids.

Pablo Casado (r) with Galician premier Alberto N¨²?ez Feij¨®o on Sunday.
Pablo Casado (r) with Galician premier Alberto N¨²?ez Feij¨®o on Sunday.Oscar Corral

Only a handful of individuals knew at this point that Rivera was also going to announce that if right-wing parties fail to secure a governing majority on November 10, he will be open to talks with Pedro S¨¢nchez to help him form a Socialist government. Several members of Ciudadanos¡¯ executive committee have admitted that they were informed of this decision on Saturday morning, the day of the rally.

¡°We were born to overcome the dichotomy between the reds and the blues,¡± said Rivera on Saturday, in a speech of over an hour that took him back to Ciudadanos¡¯ original rhetoric of reform. ¡°[On election night] I will call the PSOE and Pedro S¨¢nchez so we can sit down and talk about these reforms. If Spaniards decide that the government must be led by Pedro S¨¢nchez, by the PSOE, and if they send us to the opposition, my commitment remains unchanged: I will support all of these national reforms even if we are not in power,¡± he told a crowd of around 500 people.

Rivera¡¯s reforms

The list of reforms backed by Ciudadanos includes measures to raise the birth rate, improve education and the public health system, and fight rural depopulation. Party chief Albert Rivera also wants to eliminate special privileges for politicians such as partial immunity from the courts. Other initiatives include lowering taxes for families ¡°wherever possible,¡± a plan against job instability, ¡°dignified¡± pensions and an overhaul of electoral laws. Rivera also said there should not be ¡°privileges¡± for some regions of Spain, in a veiled reference to the Basque Country, which collects nearly all of its own taxes.

Party leaders said that Ciudadanos is not contemplating the option of a joint government with the PSOE, but rather an abstention or a favorable vote at the investiture session that will precede the new prime minister¡¯s appointment.

Asked why Ciudadanos refused such a deal with the PSOE earlier, when it could have avoided its own internal fracture and the need for a repeat election, one party official said that it is ¡°because before this, there was a different alternative,¡± alluding to the months-long possibility of a leftist government by the PSOE and anti-austerity bloc Unidas Podemos with support from Catalan separatist parties. This option ultimately did not pan out, leading to the recent dissolution of parliament and new elections.

The announcement was well received by leading party members. ¡°It is a return to the essence of the party,¡± said one official. ¡°For me, it would have been better not to have a repeat election, but better late than never,¡± said another. ¡°We¡¯re back at the political center.¡±

PP: the economy

Meanwhile, Spain¡¯s main conservative party is also making overtures to the PSOE ahead of November 10. Pablo Casado, the president of the Popular Party (PP), was in the northwestern region of Galicia on Sunday to send out a new message of moderation, following a strident campaign earlier this year during which he had called Pedro S¨¢nchez irresponsible, incapable, disloyal, incompetent, mediocre, and a compulsive liar, among other epithets.

After losing 71 seats at that election, Casado is now avoiding highly charged political issues and focusing instead on the economy with a message that only the PP can save the country from an impending new crisis.

He also told potential voters that ¡°if the PP wins just one more seat than the PSOE, we will seek governing formulas with all the ¡®constitutionalist¡¯ parties.¡± Both Ciudadanos and the far-right Vox have so far refused to join the PP in an electoral alliance named Espa?a Suma.

English version by Susana Urra.

Tu suscripci¨®n se est¨¢ usando en otro dispositivo

?Quieres a?adir otro usuario a tu suscripci¨®n?

Si contin¨²as leyendo en este dispositivo, no se podr¨¢ leer en el otro.

?Por qu¨¦ est¨¢s viendo esto?

Flecha

Tu suscripci¨®n se est¨¢ usando en otro dispositivo y solo puedes acceder a EL PA?S desde un dispositivo a la vez.

Si quieres compartir tu cuenta, cambia tu suscripci¨®n a la modalidad Premium, as¨ª podr¨¢s a?adir otro usuario. Cada uno acceder¨¢ con su propia cuenta de email, lo que os permitir¨¢ personalizar vuestra experiencia en EL PA?S.

En el caso de no saber qui¨¦n est¨¢ usando tu cuenta, te recomendamos cambiar tu contrase?a aqu¨ª.

Si decides continuar compartiendo tu cuenta, este mensaje se mostrar¨¢ en tu dispositivo y en el de la otra persona que est¨¢ usando tu cuenta de forma indefinida, afectando a tu experiencia de lectura. Puedes consultar aqu¨ª los t¨¦rminos y condiciones de la suscripci¨®n digital.

More information

Archived In

Recomendaciones EL PA?S
Recomendaciones EL PA?S
_
_
seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
mfhoudan.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
jerusalemdispatch.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
worldhealthstory.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
techguroh.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com