How Spain's Conservative Powerhouse Survived Decades of Internal Crises and Corruption Scandals

Countries & Cities · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The People's Party, or PP, has anchored Spanish conservatism since its 1989 re-foundation. From its roots in post-Francoist alliances to its modern struggles with internal espionage and corruption convictions, the party has navigated a turbulent path, consistently reinventing its leadership to maintain its status as a major national political force.

The People's Party emerged in 1989 as a successor to the People's Alliance, an organization founded in 1976 by former Francoist minister Manuel Fraga. While Fraga aimed to build a traditional European conservative movement, the party initially struggled with a reactionary image and internal dissent. It was not until the 1982 general elections that the party, under Fraga’s leadership, solidified its position as the primary opposition to the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, securing 106 parliamentary seats.

The party’s trajectory shifted significantly under José María Aznar, who became leader in 1990 and secured an absolute majority in 2000. However, the party has faced profound challenges, most notably the 2018 Gürtel affair. The National Court confirmed that the PP had profited from an illegal kickbacks-for-contracts scheme, a ruling that triggered a successful no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. This event marked the first time such a motion succeeded since Spain’s transition to democracy.

Following Rajoy’s resignation, the party experienced further volatility under Pablo Casado. His tenure was defined by a right-wing shift and a dramatic 2022 internal crisis involving allegations of espionage against Madrid president Isabel Díaz Ayuso. The subsequent leadership transition to Alberto Núñez Feijóo aimed to stabilize the party. Despite these internal upheavals and electoral fluctuations—ranging from a record 186 seats in 2011 to a historic low of 16.7 percent in 2019—the PP remains a central pillar of Spanish politics, continuing to compete for national dominance in every general election.

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