Madrid
Infighting continues in the Partido Popular in Madrid
By h.b. - Oct 28, 2009 - 7:43 AM
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The Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Madrid, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón and Manuel Cobo - EFE
Who becomes the future Chairman of the Caja Madrid savings bank is at the centre of the row
The infighting in the Partido Popular in Madrid continues with the row now centred on the comments made against Esperanza Aguirre by the Deputy Mayor, Manuel Cobo, in an interview with El País.
Aguirre, who is the PP President of the Madrid region has said that it is false that she has demanded that Manuel Cobo be expelled from the party, in exchange for changing her position on who should be the new Chairman of Caja Madrid.
However El Mundo reports today, Wednesday, that she has called for Cobo to be disciplined before she speaks about the savings banks. The paper claims that party leader, Mariano Rajoy, has offered to fine Cobo if she, Aguirre, accepts his nomination of Rodrigo Rato to head the bank. The offer came via the Party number two, María Dolores de Cospedal on Tuesday, but was rejected by Aguirre.
Cobo had told El País in his interview that it made him sick to see what Aguirre was doing to Rato.
Meanwhile 73 mayors from the party in the Madrid region have asked Rajoy to take action against the Deputy Mayor.
Many consider that the initiative comes from the Mayor himself, Albert Ruiz-Gallardón, and the party is suffering from yet another episode of his long term personality clash with Esperanza Aguirre.