Spain’s PP Sells Sánchez-Quote T-Shirts at Leadership Congress

Spain’s conservative Partido Popular opened its XXI National Congress on Friday at Madrid’s IFEMA fairgrounds, a three-day gathering that is expected to confirm Alberto Núñez Feijóo for another term as party leader. Beyond the formal agenda, the event has drawn attention for its merchandising stands, which sell T-shirts and hoodies emblazoned with expressions coined by Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez such as “fachosfera” and “Son las cinco y no he comido.” The slogans, once deployed by Sánchez to criticise the right, are being re-appropriated by the PP as rallying badges for delegates. Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso added to the informal atmosphere by handing out local strawberries while repeating her catchphrase “me gusta la fruta,” a line that went viral after a parliamentary exchange last year. The congress, held under the motto “Toma Partido por España,” is expected to be attended by more than 3,000 delegates amid a climate of heightened partisan tension following the PSOE’s ongoing ‘Caso Cerdán’ corruption probe.