La selección de candidatos a la Presidencia en el PP y el PSOE: Un reflejo de la oligarquía partidaria

Abstract

This paper describes the candidate selection process in the two major political parties in Spain, the Popular Party (PP) and the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), for the general election held in November 2011. The study is divided in three different axes, with the aim of providing an overview, as complete as possible, of the process. To do this, we first explain the formal procedures for selecting candidates, focusing on the institutional level and on the specific regulations of each party. Second, we will study the internal situation of each party, addressing aspects of informal relations that reflect both, conflict and cooperation, within these organizations. Finally, we analyze the influence of public opinion and perceptions of voters, contextualizing the process of selecting candidates within a crisis scenario.