Spain's People's Party launches manifesto ahead of November 29 election

Spain's conservative People's Party presented its election manifesto in Madrid on November 10, ahead of the November 29 snap election. Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo is leading the campaign, and polls cited by POLITICO point to a possible coalition with the far-right, anti-immigration Vox party, which the PP would likely need to govern.

The manifesto builds on the 'Contract with Spain', a list of commitments modeled on the 1994 Republicans' 'Contract with America' that Feijóo signed on October 19. The party presented the document as a change of direction after eight years of Socialist rule under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

On immigration, the PP pledges to ban what it calls mass and indiscriminate regularisation of migrants, set annual quotas for work visas in certain sectors restricted to migrants from countries that cooperate on returns, and allow the armed forces to support border control when national security requires it. It would ban Islamic face veils in public spaces, limit certain welfare benefits to those with real, lasting and verifiable ties to Spain, and regulate the loss of nationality for naturalized citizens convicted of crimes against life, sexual freedom, national security, the integrity of the State or the international community. It would also ban future mass regularizations such as Sánchez's move to grant legal status to 500,000 people.

On climate, the PP would halt what it calls impossible climate target timetables and withdraw obligations that it says harm competitiveness, industry or employment, while still calling decarbonization a key objective for Europe. On energy, five nuclear plants would have their licenses extended, additional electricity grid capacity would be added for data centers, and the 7% tax on electricity production would be eliminated immediately.

On taxes and spending, the party would cut VAT on basic food items for as long as what it calls the current crisis of inflation and purchasing power persists, cut income tax to 0% for people on minimum wage, and increase pay and troop numbers for the army. It would scrap three rules for each new regulation created.

On housing, the PP promises 1 million homes through a new land law and streamlined building and renovation permits, a cut in VAT for first-time buyers under 40 from 10% to 4%, repeal of the housing law that lets regional governments cap rents in stressed zones, tax breaks for tenants and renewing landlords, and eviction of squatters within 48 hours. Badalona Mayor Xavier García Albiol is a key campaign figure on squatting.

On institutions, the PP proposes that the 12 judge members of the General Council of the Judiciary be elected by judges rather than through political parties, stricter eligibility requirements for Constitutional Court members, and changes to public broadcaster RTVE and the Center for Sociological Investigation, with an audit of public bodies within its first 100 days in office.

On foreign policy, the PP would resume dialogue with Britain on the EU-Gibraltar deal, which the party says was not endorsed by Spain's Congress. It would seek to recover the transatlantic link with the United States and work toward a balanced and strong relationship avoiding trade wars, and maintain political, economic, military and humanitarian support for Ukraine and sanctions on Russia for as long as its aggression lasts. It also proposes a policy of balance with Morocco and Algeria and stops short of calling for self-determination for the Sahrawi people on Western Sahara.