The electoral campaign picks up pace. At the same time that the motion of censure was held in Madrid, the leaders of the PP-Aragón, Jorge Azcón, and of Aragoneses, Elena Allué, presented in society from Zaragoza the collaboration agreement by which both formations will run together in the elections municipal and regional governments on May 28.
With a "long-distance" project that seeks to widen the "center-right and Aragonese" space, the pact between the two formations was born with a primary double objective: to oust the socialist Javier Lambán from the regional government, who governs in coalition with three other parties (Chunta Aragonesista, Podemos and the Aragonese Party (PAR), of which Aragoneses is a split), and evict Sánchez from Moncloa.
"We want him to stop being president because of his erratic and confrontational policy," said Azcón, who also charged against Lambán's regional partners for, according to his criteria, being more interested in "maintaining the chair" than defending the general interest.
Regarding the May appointment, the PP candidate assured that in the elections there will be two alternatives: “Either change, or continuity. Or Lambán or Azcón”. For this reason, he has ensured that this political project that "broadens the bases of the PP" will allow them to change course in Aragonese politics, and later in Spanish, with an electoral program based on "central Aragoneseism, which Aragon defends in Spain and that he does not want to be a subject of Lambán”.
Although without giving names or going into details, the speakers did clarify that the members of Aragoneses will join the lists of the PP as independents under the logo of the conservative formation and will take the agreement to "all possible municipalities." The position that Allué will occupy has not been officially disclosed, although it is foreseeable that his destiny will be in the Cortes of Aragon.
Today's announcement has caught almost no one by surprise. The PAR, which currently holds the vice-presidency of Aragon in the hands of Arturo Aliaga, has been plunged into a political and legal mess for months with an uncertain result, and its internal struggles -motion of censure against Aliaga included- are dynamiting the party from within .
Faced with this situation, Allué, former Director General of Tourism who once aspired to lead the PAR, and her allies decided to resign as militants and found the new Aragoneses formation in February. Since then, there have been continuous rumors about her integration into the Azcón PP, a possibility that she denied but which has finally crystallized.
The "exceptional situation" that is experienced today and that "erodes the rule of law" demands "momentous changes" and the "unity of the center right and Aragoneseism", justified the policy.
Today's announcement fits with the latest movements of the regional PP to occupy the space left free by the debacle of Ciudadanos or the Aragonese Party itself, a harvest of votes with which Azcón aspires to be able to govern alone without depending on other parties.
In this sense, the popular assured that in his party "there is room for all those who defend Aragoneseism, regionalism and liberalism", words that anticipate a more than probable entry of members of Ciudadanos on the lists of the PP.
The announcement caught Lambán visiting the Monastery of San Juan de la Peña (Huesca). From there, he described the agreement as an "absolute lack of respect" against the citizenry. Regarding the PP, he assured that he was unaware of the reasons why he has agreed to sign this pact, "unless it claims to be a whitening, since they know that their Aragonese conscience is absolutely non-existent."
The president also charged against Aragoneses, a party "recently created, without any type of stem and made up of people who have already failed at the polls, so presenting this (the agreement) as a great political act is kidding us." all".
Alberto Izquierdo, general secretary of the PAR and candidate for the Government of Aragon, was tougher. After an informative breakfast in Zaragoza, he warned Azcón that with the agreement with Aragoneses he absorbs a "toxic asset" and reproached him for not having been "brave" and admitting that they accept "turncoats" in his formation. "We will see how they manage it," he stressed.
