Zapatero vows to remain 'neutral' in succession battle

Faced with a "battle of the manifestos" among various factions of the Socialist Party, former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero stepped in Friday to say he will remain neutral during the process to select his successor as party leader.

Two documents were released in less than 48 hours, one critical of Zapatero's administration while the second supported it. The first was signed by 30 Socialist leaders, including former ministers Francisco Caamaño and Carme Chacón. The second has been ratified by around 20 former secretaries of state.

The crossed messages illustrate the inner rift within a party that sustained a severe defeat at the polls on November 20. But while the Socialists remained outwardly united up until the elections, internal strife had been simmering for months. Now, the critical faction is partly blaming Zapatero's management of the crisis for alienating many Socialist voters. This group believes the time has come to rethink the party.

"We are taking too long to give an answer to the seven million people who voted for us in a critical manner and are waiting for us to enter into a debate after the Socialists' biggest crisis since the return of democracy," said Juan Fernando López Aguilar, head of the PSOE's euro deputies. Aguilar was a signatory of Mucho PSOE por hacer (or, A lot of work needed to build the Socialist Party).

In response, several former state secretaries defended Zapatero's record in Yo sí estuve allí (or, Yes, I was there), a statement that was published in EL PAÍS on Friday and chided the other side for being critical after having served in that very administration. "It would be unbecoming for those who were there evidently, even enthusiastically, to now try to suggest the contrary," reads the article.

One former minister, Beatriz Corredor, actually signed both manifestos, claiming they are not contradictory.

Early that morning, rumors began circulating that Zapatero was annoyed by the whole tug-of-war, but when he heard about the rumors, he asked one of the signatories of Yo sí estuve allí, former communications secretary Félix Monteira, to state that "the former prime minister is neither angry nor worried."

Although there are still no official candidates for the position of Socialist secretary general, to be decided in February, Carme Chacón is widely expected to run after being forced to bow out of the race for the general elections to make way for Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, viewed as a stronger candidate.