Barcelona’s political scene is set for another change in the Catalan PP, with Juan Fernández expected to become the party’s new secretary-general. Fernández is the current spokesperson for the Partido Popular in the Catalan Parliament, and the appointment is due to be formalised at the party congress on 27 June.
The congress will also see Alejandro Fernández stand for re-election as president. He has led the party since 2018 and is expected to be the only candidate for the post. The executive board is due to approve the full congress timetable this Sunday, ending a period of provisional organisation, according to El Periódico de Catalunya, with confirmation from El País Barcelona.
The national leadership in Madrid, known as Génova, called the congress last Monday. It had been delayed since 2022, officially because of election cycles, although tensions between Alberto Núñez Feijóo and Alejandro Fernández were a major factor. Génova had previously tried to stop Fernández from leading the party list in the 2024 regional election.
Those differences now appear to have eased. Alejandro Fernández told El País Barcelona in March that the strategy was “fully shared”, and said working together on the 2024 Catalan election campaign was key. The PP then rose from three seats to 15 in the Catalan Parliament.
The party is now in a stronger position than it was a few years ago. It holds 15 deputies in the Catalan Parliament and four mayoralties, in Badalona, Castelldefels, Pontons and Monistrol de Montserrat. Juan Fernández brings a strong local government background to the role, after 17 years as a councillor in Badalona alongside Xavier García Albiol.
He was also the number two candidate in the 2023 municipal elections, when the PP won a clear victory in Badalona. A year later, he became the party’s spokesperson in the Catalan Parliament. That has made him one of the PP’s main public faces in Catalonia, alongside Alejandro Fernández in parliamentary sessions.
The congress on 27 June will confirm Juan Fernández’s appointment and Alejandro Fernández’s re-election. For the Catalan PP, it marks a more settled phase after years of internal strain, with the party now focused on holding its gains and strengthening its position across Catalonia. For more Barcelona political coverage, see our community and sport pages.
Originally published by El País Barcelona. Read original article.
