Rajoy’s PP suffers painful splits just as the economy perks up

At the beginning of 2013, the Popular Party (PP) national leadership believed that its main mission was an easy one: offer its unending support to the policies of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy while defending his austerity measures. However, the PP hierarchy could not have predicted the debacle that would soon unfold through the revelations of alleged bonus payments to party leaders and illegal contributions made by top business leaders to the PP, all noted down by former treasurer Luis Bárcenas in secret accounting books that EL PAÍS first made public.

Nearly a year after that scandal broke, and with more serious allegations being aired before an investigative judge, the party membership now finds itself divided on several fronts.

"The party is no longer there for us and we don't expect it to be there," said one Rajoy administration member.

"[Party leadership] doesn't exist, and things function the way they do just by practice, and because in the regions everyone looks for their own space — but there is no leadership," added a PP regional leader.

"The problem is not with the party: [secretary general María Dolores de] Cospedal has her hands tied if Rajoy doesn't give any clear, specific instructions. Everything depends on Rajoy; he is the only one who makes the decisions," said another leading party official.

Within the PP's higher circles, there is a shared belief that the fall's positive signs from the Spanish economy constitute a glimmer of hope for the ruling party. Nonetheless, that budding optimism began to fade when various controversies broke — a series of rows stoked by Education Minister José Ignacio Wert, discontent among the regions, and the snowballing of corruption allegations lodged against PP members. Many expect Rajoy to make major changes to his Cabinet; some say that shuffle will come after the Christmas holidays, while others believe they will take place closer to the European parliamentary elections in May.

But the most noticeable split has been between the Rajoy government and its supporters and the faction of leaders who remain loyal to former Prime Minister José María Aznar. The relations between the two have worsened of late as shown by the way Aznar's wife, Madrid Mayor Ana Botella, came under fire from her own party for not taking charge of the street-sweepers' strike that resulted in tons of garbage lying out in the streets of the capital in the first half of November.

Two weeks ago, the break in fraternal relations between the Rajoy and Aznar factions was even more evident when the former prime minister launched the second volume of his memoirs. Not only was Rajoy not present, but not a single member of his Cabinet attended the event. The only government official who was there was José Luis Ayllón, the secretary of state for congressional relations.

Everyone in the party recognizes the differences. Some attribute the split to Aznar's character while others blame it on sensitivities on both sides. But the main concern among party members is the ongoing investigation and subsequent trial of Bárcenas, who has started to fling accusations in the direction of his former colleagues. His next court date is scheduled for November 25.