EX-REGIONAL president of Madrid Esperanza Aguirre has resigned from her post as head of the PP three days after armed police raided the party's national headquarters over suspicions of illegal financing.
Guardia Civil officers stormed into the head office of the PP on Madrid's C/ Génova on Thursday and seized files, searching former leader Beltrán Gutiérrez's desk.
“In the past few days, we've learnt of a great deal of news of unquestionable national significance relating to the PP in Madrid's regional government – this needs to be confirmed and put into perspective, but the seriousness of the information to hand leads me to present my resignation as chairwoman of the party,” Esperanza Aguirre said in an emergency press conference yesterday (Sunday) afternoon.
“From what I have been overseeing, I have to say that I am not aware of any illegal financing within the PP in Madrid; I have never even been a signatory to the PP's current account; have never signed a contract; have no debit or credit card; in short, I have never had any access to or control over the PP's finances – to this end, I have no direct responsibility for the actions which have apparently come to light recently.
“But the buck stops with me as chairwoman of the party, and I must now hold myself accountable and do the right thing.”
She covertly warned acting national president Mariano Rajoy and other national government level PP members about putting any desire for status and power before the common good, stating: “Right now, this is not the time for political party bias or seeking personal glory, but a time for sacrifice and concessions – we're in a very critical position at the moment, that of trying to form a government.”
Rajoy has not spoken publicly about Esperanza's resignation, but is said to be supportive of her decision.
“I called Rajoy and he didn't pick up. Next I sent him a message, which he replied with a, 'I understand you', and he called me later and we've been chatting,” Sra Aguirre reveals.
“As always, my conversation with Rajoy was totally friendly and the contents have no need to be revealed.”
Aguirre, in an interview 18 months ago, was asked what Rajoy was like to work with and answered, “oh, he's a sweetie.”
“My decision to leave is absolutely personal,” the now-ex PP leader insists, saying she was not afraid the party would be dissolved and an independent management committee brought in, as has happened in the Valencia region.
She stressed that initial reports were incorrect and that she had not made her decision to step down on Thursday, the day the PP department at Madrid city hall was investigated by the Guardia Civil, but on Saturday.
“I wanted to speak out publicly before the investigating commission on Friday first,” she explains.
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