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Mariano Rajoy throws down the gauntlet to Esperanza Aguirre
By h.b. - Apr 20, 2008 - 12:43 PM
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PP leader Mariano Rajoy is greeted by a well-wisher in Elche on Saturday - Photo EFE
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The leader of the Partido Popular said if Aguirre wanted to be more liberal, she could set up the Liberal Party and leave.
Mariano Rajoy chose the town of Elche to assert his position of leader of the Partido Popular on Saturday. Surrounded by top members of the party who support his continuance as leader, he attacked the PP leader of the Madrid Region, Esperanza Aguirre, for saying that the PP was not liberal enough. (It’s to be noted that the Spanish use of the word liberal indicates more right wing than the British or American understanding of the word).

Rajoy said if someone wants to go to the Liberal Party, then they can leave, adding that his candidature was not put forward by a newspaper and a radio station, but by the rank and file of the party. His reference there was to the El Mundo newspaper and the COPE radio station, owned by the Catholic Church, both of which have indicated support for Aguirre.

Rajoy said he wanted a Partido Popular which was moderate, open and integrating, and not a party of doctrines. He said that liberals, Christian Democrats and Social Democrats were all welcome.

Rajoy was supported at the rally by the PP heads from Murcia, Ramón Luis Valcárcel, Valencia Francisco Camps, the Catalan Daniel Sirera, and from Andalucía, Javier Arenas.

Reports from the Aguirre camp consider that Rajoy is trying to get her to show her hand and declare that she will challenge him at the PP Party Conference to be held in Valencia in June. For now she has not responded to the Elche meeting.


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