Feijóo bets on Albiol and the 'Badalona brand' for 29-N in Barcelona

The leader of the PP plans for the mayor of Badalona, Xavier García Albiol, to head the list for Barcelona in the general elections on November 29. The decision is not official, but sources from Génova consider it the most likely option.

The PP of Catalonia is preparing its candidacy for the general elections on 29 November with a strategy that involves leveraging the municipal management of Xavier García Albiol in Badalona. According to elconfidencial.com, the party president, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, sees in the Badalona mayor the ideal profile to lead the list for the province of Barcelona, although the appointment has not yet been finalised.

Sources from the national leadership admit that Albiol's option is gaining traction. However, party spokespeople clarify that Feijóo has not yet had a formal conversation with the mayor to present the offer. The mayor himself has avoided commenting on this scenario.

Albiol's electoral strength in Badalona is indisputable: he governs with a majority and 18 councillors. His mandate has been characterised by personal involvement in issues such as the fight against illegal occupations, abuses linked to irregular immigration, and public safety. This discourse has allowed him to attract votes even from independentist sectors, a phenomenon that the PP now wants to transfer to the whole of Catalonia.

The popular leadership is confident that the 'Badalona brand' will help overcome the historical rejection that the PP still generates among large segments of the Catalan electorate. Three weeks ago, Feijóo specifically chose Badalona for a visit to Catalonia with a clear electoral tone, focused on measures against irregular immigration.

Alongside Albiol, another name being considered for the candidacy is that of senator Juan Bautista Milián, who is very close to the national leader. The PP has designed its own strategy, distancing itself from the offensive of Aliança Catalana and the gestures of Vox towards the party of Silvia Orriols, which has been moderating its discourse in the Parlament, for example with a greater use of Catalan.

The Catalan populars, under the leadership of Alejandro Fernández, maintain their commitment to a liberal and pro-European centre-right without wavering in the face of the rise of the far right in Europe. Polls grant them between 13 and 16 seats in the Parlament, a range they have not reached in 14 years.

"No flip-flopping"

This phrase summarises the position of a party that refuses to reorient its strategy based on its rivals. While Vox has softened its discourse in Catalonia, the PP prefers to maintain its classic profile and trust that Albiol's management in Badalona will act as an electoral lever on 29-N.