Crusade against Daniel Sirera in the PP of Barcelona

BarcelonaDisputes within the PP in the city of Barcelona have been a constant in recent years, but in recent weeks there has been an escalation between a relevant sector of the party and the leader in the capital, Daniel Sirera. Several leaders are calling for a change in his way of doing things and are opposed to it for strategic reasons, and due to the management of the municipal group and the party in Barcelona. Aware of this The romance between Sirera and the leader of the People's Party in Spain, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, do not plan to present an alternative candidacy to unseat him as the head of the list in the next municipal elections, as this depends on the state leadership; however, several sources indicate that the movements will go "further." Meanwhile, Sirera has publicly stated multiple times that he will be the candidate in 2027 and defended his "own profile" for Barcelona, since his objective is to expand the reach of the Popular Party in the Catalan capital, as this newspaper has already explained.

The sector that opposes the elections brings together local cadres from Barcelona's districts, in addition to the provincial leadership headed by Manuel Reyes – with whom Sirera has tense relations – and has recently welcomed an interview with the former leader of the Barcelona PP and former councilor Alberto Fernández Díaz, who was critical. A week ago, he assured All of Barcelona that "the appointment of [Jaume] Collboni could be electoral poison for the PP" because there was "no signed paper," and he also criticized the fact that the mayor was also reproved with the vote of the Popular Party (PP) on a proposal from Comuns (Comuns). Fernández Díaz, in conversation with ARA, reaffirms the reflections of the interview and maintains that "a change in the way of doing things and a commitment to integrating the full potential of the people and teams of the PP into a sum that will multiply" is necessary. Very focused on sectoral issues, he refuses to "get into criticizing individuals"; nor does he do so openly with Sirera, and limits himself to emphasizing the city model and the improvements that can be made to address Barcelona's various problems. That is why he chairs a platform, Barcino 5G, in which he leads proposals, taking advantage of the prospect of being retired from politics and not wanting to return to it.

Unlike Fernández Díaz, who declines to comment further, other Popular Party sources do express in ARA that they would like Sirera to be replaced immediately. These sources are pleased that the former councilor has spoken clearly, and some warn that they will soon pressure the party's general secretary, Miguel Tellado, "to explain that Sirera is a disaster, that he's doing his own thing, and that the party in the city is destroyed" and "disappeared" in many areas, and also that several district presidencies have criticized Sirera, in Gràcia and Sant Andreu. But all detractors agree that, beyond pressure and explaining themselves, they can do nothing else. Tellado is one of the Barcelona leader's main supporters and, as general secretary, has monopolized the organizational responsibilities that Carmen Fúnez held until July. Sirera has strengthened his internal power, not only being appointed as a speaker at the PP congress, but also as a member of the executive committee at the leadership's proposal. His rapport with Feijóo means that criticism from numerous leaders "is not made public," but rather through internal channels, so that they are heard within the party.

Crusade Options

The possibility of success for Sirera's opponents is therefore based on several options: that he "stumbles alone", that the polls knock him down, or that he is taken to Madrid, to the leadership or in a possible Spanish government. One factor that several detractors cling to is the difference between the result in the municipal elections and in the Parliamentary elections in the city: from 9.21% to 13.74% of the votes. "Be careful with the polls; when the data is bad, they call for a rethinking of the strategy or look for someone more useful," notes one source. Precisely, the polls so far are not good for Sirera: the municipal barometer gave him only 2.4% of direct voting intention—without any cooking—and the mid-May Electomania poll for Open Metropolis This left him with the same four councilors and only three-tenths of a percentage point more. Criticism is multiplying due to the slowed growth prospects despite "maximum visibility" and because there is no sign of an increase in the gap with Vox.

Another leader points out that beyond Sirera's "many local and provincial problems," it is precisely the evolution of the electoral projection that could open the door for the provincial leadership to "proposal someone different." He also reports that Fernández Díaz's "neck-shoulders" have been surprising, but points out that "Sirera has very good ties to Génova." The complexity of all this is what another source summarizes: the "very good relationship with the national leadership" and the "very poor relationship with the provincial leadership."

The frictions

One of the criticisms leveled at Sirera is that "he does what he wants" because he has Madrid's blessing, also for imposing his brand over his initials, but above all that "he only uses social media, purchased advertising, and doesn't work in-depth on sectoral issues or the opposition in general." It's also a problem that part of his team has been recruited from outside the PP; the management of the municipal group, with tensions including the resignation of Àngels Esteller, close to Fernández Díaz, as councilor, with a replacement close to Sirera, Sonia Devesa. The mess within the PP in Barcelona already occurred in the preparation of the electoral list and has now worsened, especially in the run-up to the next election. Another leader isn't very worried, but says they have what they have and, if they don't understand each other, "perhaps Génova will have to enter in the end."