Pablo Casado steps down as head of People's Party and quits politics
Conservative politician leaves party after investigation into Madrid president's alleged corruption causes rift
Pablo Casado stepped down as the head of the conservative People's Party and announced he was quitting politics on Friday evening.
Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the president of Galicia, will succeed him as the leader of the opposition in Spain.
"Thank you for the offer to continue working for you, but I think right now it would be best for me to step aside," Casado told Núñez Feijóo at the party meeting in Seville in which the changes to the People's Party leadership were made official.
Casado first came under fire in February after announcing an investigation into the president of the Madrid region, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, for allegedly helping her brother benefit from the emergency sale of face masks during the first months of the pandemic. Casado has also been accused of hiring private investigators to prove these allegations.
Díaz Ayuso is a senior member of the People's Party and one of its most popular figures, especially after having prioritized the economy over restrictions during the Covid-19 crisis. This contributed to the continued reign of the People's Party in the Madrid region, where her party obtained its best result in 10 years in the 2021 election.
"I always said the truth, no matter how difficult it was," Casado maintained during his farewell speech.