SPAIN : Alberto Nunez Feijoo, vying for the position of Spain’s next prime minister, likes to present himself as a moderate politician, offering a pledge of stability and a firm grip on governance.
Hailing from Galicia in the rural northwest, this 61-year-old individual is optimistic that his moderate approach and reliable reputation will garner support from the electorate in the upcoming Spanish elections on July 23.
In April 2022, he assumed the leadership role of the right-wing opposition Popular Party (PP), earning praise for his pragmatic and level-headed approach, which was seen as crucial in guiding the party through one of its most severe internal crises to date.
“Feijoo is very predictable; he likes to show off his transparency and present himself as a reliable, trustworthy politician,” stated Fran Balado, a Galician journalist and author of the book “Feijoo’s Journey” (2021).
“He’s a moderate because he manages to attract progressive voters, and he’s a pragmatist whom people trust,” he added.
Before last year, Feijoo dedicated his entire political career to Galicia, where he achieved his first election as regional leader in 2009 with an impressive absolute majority. Remarkably, he replicated this success three more times in subsequent elections.
“The Feijoo brand of moderation managed to win him majority support four times because he really managed to woo people, even if they consider themselves social democrats,” said author Balado.
“He’s trying to win that centre ground because that’s where he believes most people are,” he continued.
During his tenure in Galicia, Feijoo effectively thwarted the far-right, preventing them from securing any seats in the regional parliament despite the party’s resurgence on the national level.
Although the PP is expected to win this election, it won’t be by a landslide, so Feijoo may require cooperation from the far-right party Vox in order to reign. This would be challenging for someone who has made a name for himself as a moderate.
Feijoo has been consistently promising to “overthrow Sanchismo” for months, employing a derogatory slogan targeting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and his policies. This tactic is aimed at deflecting difficult questions about his potential alliance with Vox, according to Pablo Simon, a political scientist at Madrid’s Carlos III University.
“We know he opposes Sanchez, but we don’t know what type of government he wants…, he’s trying to maintain some kind of ambiguity,” stated Simon, who claimed that Feijoo always keeps his cards close to his chest and is still somewhat mysterious.
“You don’t really know if he’s going one way or the other, it depends on the circumstances. And that’s part of the game,” Simon added.
Feijoo, who was born on September 10, 1961, in the village of Os Peares, was raised in a working-class family.
His father was employed in the construction industry, while his mother managed a grocery shop.
As a diligent and scholarly child, Feijoo pursued studies in law at Santiago de Compostela with aspirations of becoming a judge. However, he stepped up to help when his father lost his job and joined the public service in 1985.
During his time at university, Feijoo’s interest in politics was sparked as he would regularly tune in to televised debates.
In 1991, he began his political journey by securing a position at Galicia’s agriculture ministry, working under a politician who later served as Spain’s health minister. Subsequently, Feijoo accompanied this politician to Madrid in 1996.
During his time in Madrid, Feijoo assumed the responsibility of running Insalud, Spain’s national health service at that time. Following this role, in 2000, he took on the leadership of the Correos postal service.
After three years back in Galicia, he ascended to the position of regional head of the PP in 2006, leading the party to victory in 2009.
Although he initially expressed a desire to become Galicia’s leader as his “highest political ambition,” the village boy from Os Peares decided to relocate to Madrid last year. He now aspires to become “the first prime minister from rural Spain.”
Despite being renowned as one of the PP’s most respected leaders, Feijoo lacks experience in international politics and is not fluent in English, which raised eyebrows this year when he mistakenly referred to US rock legend Bruce Springsteen as “Bruce Sprinter.”
Although he usually keeps his private life well-guarded, Feijoo granted an interview to El Mundo’s women’s supplement in March, providing a rare glimpse into his life as a family man.
Known for his austere demeanour and indifference to fashion trends, Feijoo shared with the magazine that becoming a father in his mid-50s with his partner Eva Cardenas was the “best gift life has given me.”
“I didn’t want children before.. [but] I’m very happy to have had a son just before the final whistle,” revealed Feijoo, who is occasionally spotted strolling around Madrid’s affluent Chamartin neighbourhood with his six-year-old son Alberto and dog Cata, a schnauzer.
Also Read: Spain Wildfire: Over 2,500 Evacuated following Fire on La Palma Island
