Fiona Govan
THE embattled leader of Spain’s conservation opposition party bade farewell to parliament on Wednesday and made his exit to a round of applause.
Pablo Casado appeared to bow out but has not officially resigned although he agreed on Tuesday night to call an extraordinary party congress to determine the future leadership of the Popular Party.
The 41-year-old told lawmakers on Wednesday morning that he hoped the government would continue to serve “the general public interest”.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wished Casado ‘all the best in his personal life’ before the PP leader departed the chamber swiftly.
He received a standing ovation from some of the same party members who had withdrawn their support from his leadership earlier in the week.
The crisis at the top of the PP erupted last week after Madrid regional president Isabel Diaz Ayuso, accused Casado of a public slur campaign.
El Mundo reported that 16 of the PP’s 17 regional leaders would call for Casado’s resignation at an emergency meeting to be held in Madrid on Wednesday night.
Casado, who became the youngest leader of the PP when he took over from Mariano Rajoy in July 2018, is expected to either resign or agree to stay on until a new party president could be elected within the next few months.
Alberto Nunez Feijoo, the leader of the northwest Galicia region, is tipped to succeed Casado.
READ MORE:
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