22 Feb, 2022 @ 18:55
1 min read

Pablo Casado: Leader of Spain’s conservative opposition party under mounting pressure to resign

Partido Popular Closes Its Campaign In Madrid
PP leader Pablo Casado during her closing campaign meeting for the up-coming Madrid regional elections, in Madrid on May 2, 2021.spain (Photo by Oscar Gonzalez/NurPhoto)

THE leader of Spain’s main conservative opposition party looked set to resign after his supporters appeared to abandon him in droves.

His role at the head of the Popular Party seemed untenable after a bitter clash with party rival Isabel Diaz Ayuso, who has been positioning herself to take over leadership of Spain’s main right-wing party.

This week has so far seen a spate of resignations from the party executive as Casado’s supporters jumped ship and an angry public protest outside PP headquarters in Madrid demanding that he resign.

Supporters Of Spain's Main Opposition People's Party (pp) Gather At Party's Headquarters To Show Their Commitment To Popular Leader Of The Madrid Region Isabel Diaz Ayuso, After Internal Rift With National Leader Pablo Casado, In Madrid, Spain, February 20
Supporters of Spain’s main opposition People’s Party (PP) gather at party’s headquarters on Sunday. Photo: Cordon Press

Spain’s right wing press has also turned against the 41-year-old clamouring for  him to step down to stem the bleeding at the heart of the PP.

On Wednesday, party leaders from regions across Spain will hold a crisis meeting with reports that they are expected to demand Casado steps aside.

PP heavyweight Alberto Nuñez Feijoo, the conservative president of Galicia region, has publically spoken out against Casado insisting that he must go to save the party from collapse.

Feijoo, 60, who has won four consecutive absolute majorities in the northwestern region is expected to step in as a transitional figurehead during the process to select the next party leader.

The row blew up last week after Casado was accused of waging a smear campaign against his popular rival with allegations that he had hired private detectives to dig up dirt on her.

Ayuso President Of The Community Of Madrid Speaks About Accusations Of The Pp
Isabel Diaz Ayuso is positioning herself to take over leadership of the party. Photo: Cordon Press

He publically accused Ayuso, the president of the Madrid region who has enjoyed a huge surge in popularity thanks to her stance during the pandemic, of corruption after it emerged a lucrative face mask deal had been awarded to an acquaintance of her brother.

She denies wrongdoing, although an investigation into the allegations has been launched.

Isabel Diaz Ayuso, President Of The Community Of Madrid
Former allies turned rivals. Pablo Casado and Isabel Diaz Ayuso. Photo: Cordon Press

The vast majority of right-wing voters are on her side, according to a poll commissioned by the El Confidencial newspaper, with 71% of PP supporters calling for her to lead the party compared with just 14.5% for Casado.

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Fiona Govan

Fiona Govan joined The Olive Press in March 2021. She moved to Spain in 2006 to be The Daily Telegraph’s Madrid correspondent and then worked for six years as Editor of The Local Spain. She lives in Madrid’s Malasaña district with her dog Rufus.

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