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SUMMARY
Spain’s prime minister José María Aznar and leader of the centre-right Partido Popular (PP) is lining up his forces ahead of the early March general election next year and has appointed his successor as head of the PP in a well timed surprise to the Spanish political classes and the electorate.
The choice of Mariano Rajoy as new secretary general of the PP, while never a favourite contender in the press is not a controversial choice. ...
A time line has emerged with three autonomous regional elections — in Madrid, Catalonia and Andalusia — scheduled for October and November. The Madrid vote is a re-election due to a failure to appoint a leader for the assembly. Each election is likely to show increasing support for the PP which has made a dramatic come-back from its low standing in the polls early in the year.
Polls show that Aznar has recovered his popularity after his divisive stand supporting the US war in Iraq. Indeed if his eight point lead over the PSOE were repeated in the general election, the PP would sweep to power for a third term.
TEXT
The naming of Mariano Rajoy as Aznar’s successor has been well timed to keep the political momentum going ahead of three autonomous regional elections in Madrid, Catalonia and Andalusia and the PP party conference in October.
Rajoy’s appointment puts an end to a long process of media speculation, most of which was broadly favourable, about Aznar’s future political ambitions.
At the end of June in his annual state of the nation address to parliament Aznar reiterated he would not stand for a third term of office.
Aznar, as a student of UK politics, is aware of the John Major effect — where the ousting of UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher in 1990 and replacement by John Major revived the image of the flagging Tory party and helped it win the 1992 general election.
Approximate Word count = 1575
Approximate Pages = 6.3
(250 words per page double spaced)
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