Feijóo insists on Sánchez's "social engineering" with the 'Grandchildren's Law': "It has no innocent objectives"

Alberto Núñez Feijóo keeps alive his offensive against the Government over the 'Grandchildren Law' and the extraordinary regularization of migrants. The leader of the PP spoke this Friday in Castellón of “social engineering” and assured that the measures promoted by Pedro Sánchez “do not have innocent objectives”.

The turn comes after several days of controversy over his words about alleged “electoral engineering” to “manufacture voters”. Feijóo has now toned down the expression, but not the core of the message. During the closing of the II Forum of Provincial Councils, Cabildos and Consells of the PP, he again questioned the impact of nationalizations and accused the Government of acting without planning or transparency.

“There is no Spaniard, neither old nor new, who believes that there is good faith in this Government,” affirmed the popular president. Feijóo maintains that the Executive is promoting far-reaching demographic changes without sufficient debate in Parliament and without preparing public services beforehand.

The Grandchildren Law returns to the center of controversy

The leader of the PP has grouped the extraordinary regularization of migrants and the Grandchildren Law into the same block, despite them being distinct processes. According to his calculations, since 2018, the number of foreign-born residents in Spain has increased by four million people, to which he adds 1.2 million regularization applications and 2.6 million possible nationalizations under the 'Grandchildren Law'.

With that sum, Feijóo spoke of almost “eight million” people and wondered if the country is prepared to absorb such a change. “Have they prepared the necessary housing stock? Have they efficiently prepared public healthcare? Have they prepared all public services?” he asked.

The PP defends that it does not question electoral integrity, but its leader continues to use a framework very similar to that which the far-right Vox has agitated these days. Génova tries to separate its discourse from the idea of electoral fraud, although Feijóo again spoke this Friday of “alteration of the census” and a lack of guarantees in the process.

The debate also makes the PP uncomfortable due to its own history. In 2022, during a visit to Buenos Aires, Feijóo defended a specific law to recover the nationality of descendants of Spaniards. Now he focuses his criticism on the way the Government has processed and expanded the process, especially through an administrative instruction linked to the Democratic Memory Law.

“Take your dirty hands off our money”

Feijóo has taken advantage of the same event to lash out against the judicial situation surrounding the Government and the PSOE. “You cannot govern a country like this, with the number twos in jail, with Hacienda, Transport and the Civil Guard under suspicion,” he said, referring to the cases affecting the socialist circle and the recent indictment of the director general of the Civil Guard, Mercedes González.

The president of the PP has accused the Executive of having stopped governing to try to survive politically. “The PSOE is dead and Sanchismo is dead with fear,” he pointed out. He also pointed to Leire Díez, intermediaries and high-ranking officials as the “sword of Damocles” of the Government.

In his speech, Feijóo hardened his tone against Sánchez and demanded that the PSOE remove its hands from public money. “Take your dirty hands off our money now. Stop stealing now,” he affirmed before provincial and island officials of the PP.

Provincial councils, small towns and local financing

The event in Castellón was focused on the role of provincial councils, island councils and consells. Feijóo has promised that, if he reaches La Moncloa, he will promote a modernization of the provincial councils, a basic statute for smaller population municipalities and a new local financing plan.

The popular leader has argued that small town councils cannot function with the same bureaucratic burdens as a large city. “Every extra procedure is less time to attend to residents,” he summarized.

Feijóo also promised to reinforce the technical staff of local administrations and review the role of provincial councils to make them more useful to municipalities. The PP wants to take this discourse to the field of management, while keeping open the offensive against Sánchez for corruption, migration and nationalizations.