September 25, 2003. Copyright, 2003, Graphic News. All rights reserved

Profile of Mariano Rajoy, chosen successor to SpainÕs Aznar
By Joanna Griffin

LONDON, September 25, Graphic News:  The choice of Mariano Rajoy to lead the Spanish PeopleÕs PartyÕs campaign for a third term surprised few and was approved by many. The question now is whether the loyal deputy will be able to escape the long shadow of his benefactor to win at elections next March.

Announcing the results of a secret ballot recently, Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar said he was passing on not just the leadership but also the ideals of the centre right party, saying: ÒThis is not a succession by halves. This is a handover with full consequences.Ó In turn, Rajoy has said he Òsees no need to invent differencesÓ between himself and Aznar on key issues.

These include the crackdown on the the Basque separatist guerrilla group ETA, which has been a hallmark of AznarÕs rule since the PP came to power in 1996. Rajoy, a native of the rugged Celtic fringe of Galicia and presently deputy prime minister, has vowed to continue the war on terrorism and to go on blocking moves for more power from the regions.

Although Rajoy has seemed keen to emphasise his similarities to the current Spanish leader, he might do well to play up their differences if he is to win at the ballot box. While his own political views remain shadowy (the Madrid daily El Mundo called him Òa mystery wrapped in an enigmaÓ), in person he is considered more personable and less aggressive than Aznar.

Born in Santiago de Compostela in 1955, Rajoy worked as a property registrar before entering regional government. Later he held several ministerial posts, including public administration and education, before being appointed deputy prime minister and interior minister a year later. In a 2002 reshuffle he became government spokesman and first deputy prime minister.

It is in this latter role that Rajoy has earned a reputation as SpainÕs ÒTeflon ManÓ, a politican to whom nothing sticks. Last year it was he who diffused criticism over the governmentÕs handling of the Prestige oil tanker disaster off the coast of Galicia. Aznar has credited him with winning back supporters despite mass opposition to PP backing for the war on Iraq.

More recently, Rajoy has managed to calm outrage over the sending of 1,300 peacekeeping troops to Baghdad. He is also a skilled political strategist, having masterminded the PPÕs election campaign in 2000 that gave the party an overwhelming parliamentary majority, the first for a right-wing party since before Franco began his dictatorship in 1936.

With Rajoy as a frontman, the PP has hovered several points ahead of the Socialist Party in polls. Rajoy himself is less popular than Socialist leader Jose Luis Rodrigues Zapatero, but more popular than the increasingly autocratic prime minister. He is more certainly more affable and good humoured than Aznar but so far the two seem separated by shades of grey.

One key difference may be that Rajoy seems less interested in pushing Spain onto the world stage than the prime minister, who has cultivated strong ties with ItalyÕs Silvio Berlusconi and BritainÕs Tony Blair to help his cause. As one commentator put it, Ò(Rajoy) has his head in the interior but his heart is still in Galicia.Ó
/ENDS