Feijoo’s task

THE Partido Popular is still revelling in the coalition government’s fractious parleying over its Guarantee of Sexual Freedom or “Only Yes Means Yes” Law.

Modifying the flawed text of Equality minister Irene Montero’s prize project betrays the PSOE-Unidas Podemos coalition’s differences which, with municipal elections in May and a general election in December, is just what the PP and Alberto Nuñez Feijoo need.

“We are here to offer reliability, maturity, a sense of state and a clear direction,” Feijoo declared on succeeding defenestrated Pablo Casado as the Partido Popular’s national secretary general. “My project is a project of understanding.”

These qualities were in evidence during his time as president of Galicia’s autonomous government where he had no trouble in notching up overall majorities in four successive regional elections.

Once installed in Madrid this didn’t prevent him from choosing the PP’s default opposition mode of anti-PSOE overstatements and doom-laden generalisations. Surprisingly, Feijoo, now 61, voted PSOE in his youth, joining the PP in 2002.

The former Feijoo re-emerged on February 9 when the Constitutional Tribunal threw out the PP’s objections the 2010 Abortion Law which allows terminations on demand up to 14 weeks.

Feijoo immediately announced that 13 years later the correct decision had been reached and he respected the Tribunal’s decision. As he too had condemned the 2010 law this could have been political strategy, aware that abortion is a sensitive issue.  And, having censured the way Pedro Sanchez’s government allegedly rides roughshod over the Constitution, he could hardly criticise the Tribunal.

Meanwhile, Feijoo has his own problems and, like Pablo Casado, must decide what to do with Vox, Santiago Abascal’s extreme right-wing party which wins seats municipally, regionally and nationally by hiving off PP votes.

Veer further right, stay put or shift to the centre to underline the party’s moderation? Feijoo has until May to make up his mind and decide which of his – and the party’s – multiple sides will show to their best advantage.

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