Alberto Núñez Feijóo’s Partido Popular is no longer hiding its ambitions. As Pedro Sánchez faces mounting pressure, PP strategists are already sketching out a future cabinet and debating who could fill Spain’s most powerful ministries.
Inside the PP headquarters, the mood has shifted. Alberto Núñez Feijóo’s team is acting like the move to La Moncloa is just around the corner. Lists are being drawn up. Trusted names are debated. The party is mapping out who could run Spain’s toughest ministries if power changes hands.
Pressure is building. PP strategists see Pedro Sánchez boxed in by legal deadlines and looming court cases. Sources close to Feijóo say the party expects Sánchez’s grip to weaken, no matter if elections land in November or get pushed to spring. Their logic is blunt. The longer Sánchez waits, the more the PP stands to gain. Judicial cases could chip away at Sánchez’s authority and make Vox less of a threat in any coalition. On October 2, Congress rejected two major housing decrees. Reuters reported this blow dealt Sánchez’s government a setback and fueled talk of early elections.
Several Spanish and international outlets reported on October 5 that the government is actively considering snap elections, with November 29 cited as a possible date.
Still, the PP’s inner circle sees a problem. There aren’t enough heavy hitters for the so-called Ministerios de Estado—Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Interior. Their answer? Bring in top civil servants and technocrats, many with roots in Galicia, Feijóo’s home turf. Loyalty and a proven record matter more than regional quotas.
Economic management sits at the core of the PP’s shadow plans. Two names keep coming up: Pablo Hernández de Cos, former Bank of Spain governor and now a candidate for the European Central Bank, and Francisco Conde, Feijóo’s longtime economic right hand in Galicia. Both are seen as steady. Conde, in particular, is valued for his loyalty and experience. Other names like Juan Bravo and Alberto Nadal are also in the mix for economic posts. Feijóo wants familiar faces and technocrats. Multiple Spanish media outlets have confirmed these names as frontrunners for economic ministries, matching Feijóo’s vision for a cabinet run by experts.
Justice is another key fight. José Luis Costa Pillado, a close Feijóo ally and current member of the General Council of the Judiciary, is a top contender. He’s the only council member with an official office in Galicia. That says a lot. Feijóo trusts his own circle, even if it stirs up the party’s broader conservative base.
Feijóo has made housing the centerpiece of his alternative program, promising to present a plan within the first month in office and to build 1 million homes during his term. This initiative is projected to create over 600,000 jobs, according to figures cited in several reports on his recent speeches.
Foreign Affairs is the biggest unknown. Europe’s far right is rising. Donald Trump’s possible return hangs over global institutions. The PP lacks international stars. Ildefonso Castro, the party’s international secretary and a former ambassador, is seen as solid but not a standout negotiator. Pablo García-Berdoy, a former EU ambassador, is a safe pick. But the bench is thin. That’s a risk.
At home, the PP shrugs off criticism for voting down housing decrees in Congress. Leaders dismiss street protests as noise from “radicalized voters” already loyal to the left. They argue Spain is a country of homeowners who see property as family security. This position has sharpened the campaign’s tone. The government and its allies now frame the election as a fight over housing policy. That’s been explored in recent coverage. Reuters noted that the defeat of the housing decrees came as public anger over the housing market grew, putting Sánchez under more pressure.
Feijóo doesn’t want a single first vice president. He avoided that in Galicia. The goal is clear: don’t create obvious successors. Keep power close. Andalusia’s Juan Manuel Moreno is expected to have a say, but the core team will come from Feijóo’s trusted group. Regional balance is not the priority. Trust is.
As PP leaders watch for Sánchez’s next move, one thing stands out. The party is getting ready for government now, not someday. But the lack of clear picks for top jobs and the reliance on a tight inner circle could backfire if power comes fast. For now, the PP’s confidence is high. So is the speculation. The party is betting on familiar faces in uncertain times. That could bring stability. Or it could leave Spain’s next government short-handed just when the country faces tough challenges.
