Feijóo's affair with a Catalan leader is stirring up the Catalan People's Party (PP).

BarcelonaIn calling the PP congress in July, the party's leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, sent some messages in a Catalan key. men such as the president of Murcia, Fernando López Miras, and the Extremaduran, María Guardiola, to draft the party's new statutes at the state level. Although this doesn't mean Sirera will be in the future leadership of the PP in Madrid, what does this appointment mean? How has it been interpreted in the PP of Catalonia?

The romance between Feijóo and Sirera is clear, but not everyone views it favorably. On the one hand, PP sources in Barcelona City Council tell ARA that the "confidence of the party president" in Sirera has been reflected in the appointment, which they see as "recognition of his work at City Council." But the rapport between Feijóo and Sirera goes back a long way: they have known each other since the current Barcelona councilor was president of the Catalan PP, during the brief period from 2007 to 2008, marked by the resignation of Josep Piqué. There was already some work together, but they "met again" when Sirera was chief of staff to the Valencian president, Carlos Mazón. A position he left due to Feijóo's request for Sirera to be the mayoral candidate in Barcelona in 2023That was already a symptom of the rapport, but the bond with the Galician continued, to the point where he is one of the Catalans he trusts the most.

According to Popular Party sources in the Catalan capital, the understanding between Feijóo and Sirera also comes because "both are moderates," have a "good personal relationship," and "a similar way of understanding Catalonia and Spain." That's why Sirera's entourage assumes he "will be the candidate" in Barcelona and that "everyone is clear about that." Sirera has commented on several occasions that this is his "greatest inspiration" and "the only one," so his goals include neither entering the state leadership nor anything other than working toward becoming mayor. Sources from the state leadership emphasize that the choice to draft the statutes was based on "his experience within the party," the fact that "it's a pleasure to work," and "his knowledge of local politics." reports Andrea Zamorano.

However, there is also internal unrest over Feijóo's close relationship with Sirera. Other sources within the Catalan Popular Party express "general" discontent in the Principality and denounce the lack of coordination with the party, nor is there any common ground on the Barcelona municipal strategy. According to them, "since he talks to Madrid, he thinks it's enough" to go straight ahead. Regarding the rapport with the state leadership, they comment that it's a "strange romance" because Feijóo "likes" him, "goes to see him, takes him out to eat," and they say the same is true of Miguel Tellado, the PP spokesperson in Congress and a close confidant of the Popular Party leader. This sector dissatisfied with Sirera also distrusts that his aspirations are only to be a Barcelona mayoral candidate and insinuates that he actually wants to climb the party ladder, for example in Madrid and leaving Barcelona—something Sirera flatly denies. They also dislike the strategy of opposing Mayor Jaume Collboni, his use of social media, or his prioritizing his surname over the logo of the Barcelona People's Party (PP). In fact, other PP sources consulted doubt that the appointment by the state PP congress to draft the statutes means he is already a guaranteed candidate: "It's premature to make other interpretations," they say, regarding whether Sirera emerges "strengthened or not" with the appointment.

Sirera defends himself.

This isolation of Sirera, according to these sources, was evident in two incidents last week. When Miguel Tellado visited Tarragona on May 15, PP deputies such as Lorena Roldán and Pere Huguet were present, as well as provincial leaders such as Mario García, while on the state spokesperson's visit to Barcelona on May 16, only Sirera and a few district councilors were present, focusing on the city. The entourage of the Barcelona PP leader has defended himself against the accusations: he maintains that he is "loyal," that he doesn't ignore the party, and that when something is asked of him, he does it. However, he also warns that he will maintain his "own profile," as his goal is to expand the PP's reach in the Catalan capital.