Juan Bravo: fiscal saviour for Spain's PP, or more of the same?

Juan Bravo: the PP's plan to fix Spain's public finances that divides analysts

Juan Bravo's interview, the PP's (Spain's main conservative party) treasury secretary, has peine the debate over whether the party can reverse what some call the «Sánchez disaster». The former Economy minister of Castilla-La Mancha presents himself as a technocrat with clear ideas: cut wasteful spending, lower taxes and reform the administration. But scepticism dominates among analysts.

## Montoro's shadow and broken promises
Bravo's main burden is the legacy of Cristóbal Montoro, the PP's last finance minister. During his tenure, the tax burden rose and the deficit went unchecked. Critics recall that the PP promised tax cuts on the campaign trail and then raised taxes instead. «You have to be very naive to think the blues will do anything different», say sources in the debate. The party's record in the regions it governs doesn't help either: its regional leaders stand accused of maintaining patronage networks and waste, what critics call «blue socialism».

## Doubts about the plan's viability
The context is global. Unpayable public debt and the pressure of major funds like BlackRock and Vanguard constrain any fiscal policy, whoever wins. On top of that, the PP would have to contend with the nationalist parties and its own regional power brokers. «Until the territorial system and the Constitution are reformed, Bravo's speech is just the same old tune to swindle the gullible», the harshest critics argue.

Some analysts point to one hopeful sign: the PP has spent seven years out of power at Moncloa and is hungry for office, which could translate into more orthodox management than in its previous stint. But the doubt remains: will Bravo dare to wield the knife where it hurts, or will history repeat itself?

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