National
Prime Minister looks for image of unity at the Socialist Party Congress
By h.b. - Jul 1, 2008 - 7:39 PM
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Spanish Prime Minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, is putting the final details to the 37th Federal Congress for the PSOE, Spanish Socialist Workers Party, which is to be held this weekend in Madrid under the slogan ‘The strength of change’.
One of the main points of interest will be the role of the regional party barons in the new cabinet and legislature, with reports indicating that Zapatero wants to keep the regional leaders out of Madrid and the party management structure.
Currently there are three who have a central role, Rodríguez Ibarra from Extremadura, Montilla from Cataluña and López Aguilar from the Canaries.
Rodriguez Ibarra, who has a long history of success in the polls in Extremadura, has been one of the most critical voices of the Prime Minister. The problem of Montilla in Cataluña is also key, given the position of Catalan Defence Minister, Carme Chacón.
There are two other regional leaders of the party, Pérez Touriño in Galicia and Patxi López in the Basque Country, who are reported to have been hoping for a role in Madrid, which if these reports are correct, now looks unlikely.
Socialist spokespeople are promising an open debate which will allow for those to the left of the Prime Minister to have their say, according to reports in Público newspaper. However the Prime Minister is reported to be looking for an image of unity to contrast to the differences seen in the Partido Popular at their congress held in Valencia last month.
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