Spanish People's Party Shifts To Right With New Leader

[appalachiablue]

Source: The Guardian

- Pablo Casado elected in poll as conservative party faces string of corruption scandals -

Spain’s conservative People’s party (PP), which was cast out of government at the beginning of June after a string of corruption scandals, has shifted further to the right by choosing an outspokenly traditionalist MP as its new leader.

Pablo Casado, who served as the party’s communications vice-secretary and was also chief of staff to the former prime minister José María Aznar, was elected in a poll of PP members on Saturday.

He saw off a challenge from the more moderate former deputy prime minister, Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, winning 57.2% of the vote to her 42%. Casado, 37, said he would not disappoint those who had backed him..

“Today, a new and ambitious stage in our future has begun,” he said after his victory. “The PP will try to win back the hearts of all Spaniards. We need to return to the core of Spanish society so that our work cannot be undone.”...more..



Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/22/spanish-peoples-party-shifts-to-right-with-new-leader

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The task, however, will not be easy. Casado’s predecessor, Mariano Rajoy, was forced from office two months ago after the socialist PSOE party seized on mounting anger over PP corruption to call a successful vote of no confidence.
Questions have also been raised about the some of Casado’s qualifications, after it emerged that the postgraduate degree he claims to hold from Harvard had in fact been earned by attending a four-day course in Madrid. He has also admitted that he was awarded a master’s degree in public regional law by a Spanish university despite not being required to attend classes or take exams.




>Why does the dodgy academic background seem familiar?

[sandensea]

1. Spain's fascists, like those in other countries, see young, telegenic figureheads as "rebranding"

It's a 30-something on the outside; but this on the inside:

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2. Rebranding for real! And a qualifications 'misunderstanding' I suppose..

The couple is so photogenic and wholesome they could've made a mint modelling for Calvin Klein, etc. 20 years ago.

Dear old Francisco...agghh!

[sandensea]

3. The best move the New Right has made is to treat politics like marketing.

Luntzspeak at all times, pin your own foibles on the opposition because slander works, and, hey, sex sells.

That, and racism. That's the real ticket - especially in countries with eroding white majorities like Spain and, of course, the U.S.

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4. Luntz marketing, nasty racism and mucho macho 'manly man' imaging.

White 'Warriors, Crusaders and Knights' as in the good old Medieval days, gag!

[sandensea]

5. Sure. An aspirational figure.

A con man always knows his suckers - and any good neofascist knows that right-wing voters tend to have tremendous self-loathing ('I'm not good enough, thin enough, smart enough, rich enough,' etc.).

As Cheeto would say: sad.

[appalachiablue]

6. ...

[sandensea]

7. And who knows? He's probably a nice guy.

A gentle giant, as they say.

That's the problem with most Republicans I've met: They resent thoughtfulness and good faith.

They want their politicians to look like that guy - but with Cheney's brain.

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8. They despise good will, consideration, all of that. Just raw power

is the goal of many, whatever tactics it takes.

This man could have enhanced a natural asset, and be a decent person too. He's formidable though!

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9. So by those academic standards he qualifies for NCAA football.

At Auburn at the very least

[turbinetree]

10. I would like to know if he supports the action the prosecutor in the Russia influence corruption

being linked to the criminal enterprise namely the Kremlin.................