Special Report
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
SPECIAL REPORT PSOE after the Extraordinary Congress Madrid, August 2014 BARCELONA BOGOTÁ BUENOS AIRES LIMA LISBOA MADRID MÉXICO PANAMÁ QUITO RIO J SÃO PAULO SANTIAGO STO DOMINGO PSOE AFTER THE EXTRAORDINARY CONGRESS 1. INTRODUCTION 1. INTRODUCTION 2. PRE-CONGRESS PROCESS On July 26 and 27, PSOE held an Extraordinary Congress in which 3. EXTRAORDINARY CONGRESS Pedro Sánchez, the new Secretary-General was ratified through a 4. CONCLUSIONS consultation among all party members and where the new Federal 5. ANNEX Executive Committee, the highest governing body within the political group, was approved. The Congress was held after the resignation of Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, who withdrew due to the aftermath of the AUTHORS European Elections of May 25, 2014. LLORENTE & CUENCA The aforementioned Elections have completely changed the Spanish political scene. Although a causal relationship in relation to some of the decisions made after the elections cannot be established, several important events took place. The abdication of the King, the withdrawal of Josep Antoni Durán i Lleida as Secretary-General from CIU and the resignation of Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba have been connected to the new political map that the aforementioned elections produced. There are three main factors shaping the new electoral map, whose consequences are yet to be analyzed: PP and PSOE do not account for 49% of the votes together (a hard blow to bipartisanship), the electoral victory of ERC in Catalonia (for the first time since the Spanish Republic) and the great success of Podemos (questioning the very own bases of the system). On Monday May 26, 2014, former Secretary-General of PSOE, Pérez Rubalcaba, announced his intention to resign and hold an Extraordinary Congress in which the new Secretary-General would be appointed in order to lead the strategy outlined in the 2012 PSOE Political Conference in Seville. In that Political Conference, the party also agreed on holding primary elections to choose the candidates for all future election processes as well as open primary elections to designate the contestant who would run for President of Government. These elections were supposed to be held in November 2014. Eduardo Madina, Carme Chacón, Patxi López, Pedro Sánchez and Susana Díaz were among the potential aspirants. However, the fact that an Extraordinary Congress to appoint a new Secretary-General was to be held in 2014 discouraged the outgoing management team from keeping to the schedule. Rubalcaba’s team considered that questioning the election of a new leader appointed by Congress three months later through primary elections would not be positive. 2 PSOE AFTER THE EXTRAORDINARY CONGRESS 2. PRE-CONGRESS PROCESS was the only politician heading a government with PSOE majority. Carme Chacón, Eduardo Madina The Andalusian President tried to and Pedro Sánchez had spent obtain enough support as to avoid a months preparing their respective battle between various candidates. candidacies for the primary elections planned for November. Carme Chacón and former President When the Congress was announced of the Basque Country, Patxi López, and the original option of holding announced that they would not “Susana Díaz, also primary elections was discarded, take part in the process. However, seemed ready to fight Madina demanded that the new Eduardo Madina reaffirmed his for the position of Secretary-General be elected intention of running for Secretary- through direct, secret voting of General. On June 10, 2014, Díaz Secretary-General” all party members, yet the party confirmed that she would not take regulations did not contemplate part either. At the same time, the this option. The Secretary-General main regional leaders agreed on a had always be designated by vote strategy to support Pedro Sánchez. of the delegates at the Congress Andalusia, Valencian Community organized for that purpose. (Ximo Puig) and Madrid (Tomás Gómez) publicly supported him. Madina conditioned his candidacy Other leaders also showed their for Secretary-General on all preference for Sánchez, such as members being eligible to José Blanco, Felipe González and vote. Finally, despite the initial José Bono. opposition, a consultation among all the members would be held in order On June 12, 2014, Sánchez to elect the successor to Alfredo confirmed his candidacy and, on Pérez Rubalcaba. This conference the next day, Eduardo Madina did would be held on July 13, 2014 and the same. Pérez Tapias and Sotillos its results would be ratified at the declared that they would run for already convened Extraordinary Secretary-General as well. Friday Congress. José Antonio Pérez 27 June, 2014 was the established Tapias (Left Socialism movement) date to obtain a minimum of 9,874 and Alberto Sotillos (Democratic votes of PSOE members supporting Socialism movement) announced their candidacies. Those who met their intention to take part despite the aforementioned condition having minimal chances. would be considered official candidates for Secretary-General. The President of the Junta de Andalucía, Susana Díaz, also The process of collecting seemed ready to fight for the endorsements, which involved position of Secretary-General, contestants travelling through as PSOE had obtained very good several PSOE federations in order to results in the southern region of obtain votes, showed the territorial Spain in the European elections. support for each of the candidates. Furthermore, with the exception While Catalonia, Extremadura and of Jorge Fernández in Asturias, she Asturias supported Madina, the 3 PSOE AFTER THE EXTRAORDINARY CONGRESS federations of Andalusia, Comunitat 3. EXTRAORDINARY CONGRESS Valenciana, Castilla-La Mancha and Madrid supported Sánchez. The Extraordinary Congress was held in Madrid on 26 and 27 July, At the deadline, Sánchez had 2014, where the new Secretary- obtained 41,338 votes (54.04%), General was ratified and the Madina 25,238 (32.99%) and new management team was Pérez Tapias 9,912 (12.95%). appointed as well. Finally, José Alberto Sotillos did not reach the Antonio Pérez Tapias was not “Almost 130,000 PSOE minimum mark. More than a third included and the federations members took part in of the votes obtained by Sánchez and people who supported the election process to (14,389) came from Andalusia. Pedro Sánchez the most were Madina merely obtained 2,698 the ones who obtained the choose a new Secretary- in that region, followed by José most significant revenues. General” Antonio Pérez Tapias with 2,129. Andalusian politician Micaela On the last voting day, Pérez Tapias Navarro, César Luena (close received a considerable number of to José Blanco) or Catalonian votes in Andalusia and Valencia. Meritxell Batet (who supported Some analysts consider that his Madina), are some of the people candidacy received some late forming the hard core of the support in order to divide the left- new political management team wing votes of the party between (see Annex). Eduardo Madina and himself. Although the ideological and On July 13, 2014, almost 130,000 strategic lines of the party PSOE members took part in the were not discussed during the election process to choose a Extraordinary Congress, the new Secretary-General. Pedro legitimacy of the Secretary- Sánchez emerged victorious with General thanks to his 62,477 votes (48.69%), followed appointment through primary by Madina with 46,439 (36.19%) elections empowered him to and José Antonio Pérez Tapias make some proposals. During the (19,384, 15.2%). primary elections and Congress, Sánchez outlined the views On the following day, Sánchez of PSOE regarding economy, announced his willingness to let employment, State model, EU, the other candidates become fight against climate change, part of the Executive that was transparency and democratic to be elected by Congress. regeneration and equity for the Madina refused to take part future. in the new governing team, while Pérez Tapias accepted Proposals in the areas of the offer. Differently to what employment and economy: had happened until then, Pérez Tapias encountered difficulties to • Repeal the Labor Reform Law. obtain support for Left Socialism members to gain access to the • Promote policies to ensure that House of Representatives. young people do not have to 4 PSOE AFTER THE EXTRAORDINARY CONGRESS leave the country and establish Proposals regarding the UE: a project for unemployed people over 45 years. Sánchez defends the idea of a united Europe, which eliminates • Restore household debts. the division between north and south, encourages the European • Conduct tax reforms in order Central Bank to depreciate to equate taxation of capital the Euro to foster exports and income to that of labor graduates fiscal adjustment, puts “Transform Spain into income, fight against tax an end to tax havens and boosts a Federal Country, fraud, end SICAV taxation and a real public investment plan to through a constitutional ensure welfare state as well create jobs. as social policies. reform subject to vote” Proposals to fight climate change: • Sell nationalized banks for the same price at which they Sánchez calls for a shift in the were rescued. energy model as it “hinders our competitiveness and causes social • Promote a technology plan to inequality”, based on bringing modernize the business park. Spain back to foremost position in the field of renewable energy. • Create an Industrial and Energy Transition Council Proposals regarding democratic within PSOE —chaired by regeneration: the President of Asturias, Javier Fernández—