The People's Party (PP) toughens its tone on immigration and wants to impose Spanish for residence permits.

BarcelonaIn the battle against Pedro Sánchez for the presidency of the Spanish government, the People's Party (PP) is seeking to rearm itself ideologically ahead of its July congress. This Tuesday, it presented its new political direction, which—following the trend of the right and far right in Europe—focuses on immigration and security policies. Pending amendments that PP members may submit, the PP proposes "eliminating the relationship between registration and access to non-contributory economic benefits for undocumented immigrants." In their opinion, "irregular status cannot generate rights," and they also intend to make "long-term residency conditional on effective contributions to the social security system and knowledge of the Spanish language and culture."

In the words of one of the speakers, the Andalusian president Juanma Moreno Bonilla, we must reclaim the "pride" and "cultural richness" of "Spanish", and he has defended, as stated in the text, "that Spanish be protected and projected more, coexisting with the co-official languages," Catalan, Basque, Valencian and Galician", once again displaying linguistic secessionism, as if Valencian and Catalan were not the same language. Although they place Spanish as a requirement for immigrants who want to stay in the State, they also add that "language cannot be an obstacle, but a merit to access the public service". The document also details that Spanish will once again be the only language used in Congress.

Migratory Harshness and Security

In the midst of competing with the far-right Vox party, the party led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo proposes that family reunification be "exceptional," considering that "it has become an opaque means of mass regularization of irregular immigrants over which the State exercises little control." It also reaffirms its "zero tolerance" for "those who commit crimes, especially repeat offenders, and for those who do not wish to integrate."

The proposal does summarize that "border control is neither a whim nor a threat," but rather a guarantee of coexistence in freedom. Therefore, it further develops this aspect by defending "legal and orderly entry routes" for immigrants, "prioritizing the arrival of those who are culturally close," an idea modeled on that of Santiago Abascal's party. In any case, it is limited to those "who meet needs in the labor market and yearn to participate in the Spanish system of values." Where the Popular Party wants to differentiate itself is in stating that "immigrants are neither victims nor executioners," with "rights" and "obligations," and insisting that it is the state government that "must assume the consequences of immigration control."

The report also addresses the rise of organized crime, advocates updating security forces in their resources, eliminating "bureaucratic obstacles," and changing the law to toughen penalties "in cases of repeated offenses," such as repeated theft. It also advocates taking a firm stance against illegal occupation and unrest, with the measures they have championed regarding express evictions and the protection of landlords.

Pacts with Vox

Despite the hardening of ideological positions, there are several points that hint at centrism. In fact, at the presentation of the political report of the People's Party Congress, the party's more moderate wing, which is the one that wrote it, appeared. The four leaders of this sector are the presidents of Andalusia and Castile-León, Juanma Moreno Bonilla and Alfonso Fernández Mañueco; the mayor of Zaragoza, Natalia Chueca; and MEP Alma Ezcurra. All dressed in white, which Moreno identified with "transparency" and "purity," clung to a "moderation" that contrasted them with Spanish President Pedro Sánchez.

Moreno Bonilla defended that "moderation and coexistence should win out over the abuses of power and the organized tensions from those in power to divide Spaniards." For this reason, he has called for "democratic regeneration" due to the corruption that he attributes to the Spanish executive, accused of alleged illegal commissions from the Cerdán plotAmong the measures proposed are measures against the "colonization of institutions" to guarantee judicial independence, also changing the election of members of the General Council of the Judiciary so that "judges elect judges" and protecting public prosecution. The text also opposes sanitary cordons, which is why it endorses the pact with the far-right Vox party: "Neither cordons nor incoherent majorities." In this sense, it defends a "grand national agreement" that reinforces "consensus" within the State, but clarifies that "today the political conditions do not exist" to achieve it, alluding to a possible pact with the PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party). Although criticism of nationalism is recurrent throughout the presentation, it says nothing about pacts with pro-independence and nationalist forces such as Junts (Junts) or the PNV (Basque Nationalist Party).

"The PP aims to obtain a sufficient majority to allow it to govern by implementing its program based on the Constitution and the defense of the general interest as its sole guideline," it states. All of this without renouncing "principles and values" and without entering into "political auctions," a reference to Sánchez's pacts with the independence movement. Specifically, in this area, the report proposes defining the criteria for granting pardons and prohibiting them for those convicted of terrorism, corruption, attacks on the "territorial integrity of the State," "against the constitutional order," and those "committed against minors." It also plans to reinstate the crime of sedition without mentioning the term "crime of constitutional disloyalty," as Feijóo had proposed two years ago.

Autonomous Communities, Unemployment, and Family

On the other hand, the report defends the state of the autonomous regions—Moreno even said it served to "put a stop to" Sánchez's alleged excesses—but in a "rational" manner, with greater coordination and guaranteeing "unity" in economic legislation. It also addresses social and housing policies—freeing up land and offering concessions for construction—but also employment policies. "We need to be clear that those who reject reasonable job offers are not entitled to unemployment benefits," said Mañueco.

There are also several points regarding family matters: Ezcurra argued that "the role of mothers must be honored" and "the role of fathers must be vindicated," and criticized the "sexist vision of the left that has assigned a secondary role in society and in the family" to men. "The role of men, of husbands, of brothers, must be restored because it is the best way to ensure the formation of families in this country," she declared. However, there is a measure to "align the biological clock with the social clock" with "aid for egg freezing for young women." However, what is not even mentioned in the entire text are issues that divide the party, such as abortion and euthanasia.