Is the PP's image of unity true?

The PP has made an effort to project an image of unity at its congress around its leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, but a careful reading of the speeches revealed that this unity is more fictitious than real. What has simply happened is that the hardline wing of the party, represented by José María Aznar and Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has agreed to a truce with Feijóo so that he can exhaust his last chance of reaching the Moncloa. But between Aznar's speech on Friday, in which he insinuated that Pedro Sánchez should end up in prison, and Feijóo's this Sunday, in which he refuses to reach agreements with anyone except Bildu, there is a world of difference. The two souls of the PP remain, therefore, intact.

It should be emphasized, however, that the congress represents a clear victory for Feijóo over the hardliners, who, in a context where everyone assumes the victory and collapse of the PSOE, has not wanted to muddy the congress by standing up to them on programmatic or organizational issues. Thus, Ayuso renounced fighting for the system of pure primaries, as she had said she would, and one of her pawns, Alejandro Fernández, renounced an amendment that explicitly vetoed pacts with the independentists. In this way, the congress has been a bed of roses for Feijóo, except for Aznar's outbursts on the first day, which, as he himself acknowledged, was a pleasure.

However, to achieve this internal peace, Feijóo has also had to make concessions, such as the incorporation of Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo into the leadership, and also on the ideological level. The approved final report toughens the PP's rhetoric on issues such as co-official languages (they promise to "shield" teaching in Spanish) and immigration. In return, the Galician leader has gotten what he wanted: a free hand to steer his arrival in the Moncloa Palace without closing any doors, especially those of Junts and the PNV. And once there, he can reach agreements with his right and left, and not just with Vox, which is what Aznar and Ayuso would like. Feijóo still believes that, for reasons of state, he will need the PSOE post-Sánchez.

Now, what Feijóo wants, that room for maneuver, is one thing, and what he actually has is another, because the ideological program emerging from this congress is incompatible with any of the parties now supporting Pedro Sánchez. It's incompatible with the PSOE, since it promises to repeal all of his government's work, and it's also incompatible with Junts and the PNV. When it comes down to it, Feijóo will continue to be held hostage by Vox, because the dream of gathering 10 million votes like in the days of Aznar or Rajoy is for now a pipe dream, according to all the polls.

And the climate of euphoria that permeated the PP congress has more to do with the PSOE's crisis than with their having managed to turn Vox into a marginal force. And that euphoria, if time passes and Sánchez doesn't fall, could turn into anxiety. And then we'll see if the hardliners maintain the truce they signed this weekend or raise their heads to, once again, show Feijóo the way.