Feijóo pledges tighter citizenship rules and tax cuts at Badalona rally

Proposals on nationality and borders

Alberto Núñez Feijóo addressed a party rally in Badalona on 20 September 2026, outlining a platform focused on immigration, legal reform, and national security. The People's Party leader pledged to revise how Spanish nationality is granted, maintained, and revoked if he forms a government. Under this proposal, citizenship would be stripped from naturalized individuals convicted of serious offences, including murder, armed group membership, and repeated sexual assault. Feijóo argued that immigration must remain orderly and tied to employment contracts, drawing comparisons to Spaniards who historically emigrated to the Americas and Europe to work. He criticized what he termed an imbalance where irregular entry appears easier than legal recruitment, asserting that national rights must correspond with legal duties.

He summarized his border policy to supporters at the rally:

Those who come to break the law should know that Spain will be closed tight.

Economic critiques and tax policy

Turning to economic governance, Feijóo linked persistent price increases to fiscal policies and tensions surrounding the conflict between the United States and Iran in the Persian Gulf. Citing figures from the National Statistics Institute, he noted that the annual inflation rate stood at 4.3% in August 2026. Feijóo stated that taxpayers paid 180 billion euros more in 2025 through tax increases and social security contributions, arguing that these revenues failed to improve public services. He listed mounting household costs across fuel, groceries, winter heating, mortgages, and rent, while challenging Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to walk the streets without filters to observe family budgets. Feijóo also criticized the government for operating without an approved national budget, proposing structural reforms and tax reductions to lower production costs.

Catalan infrastructure and industry

Feijóo addressed regional administration in Catalonia, calling on the region to abandon decades of identity debates and help steer national governance. He criticized the quality of regional public services, describing the Rodalies commuter rail network as unreliable and claiming Catalonia shares the poorest educational outcomes in Spain alongside Ceuta and Melilla. The opposition leader committed to defending Catalan industrial assets, specifically citing the Seat automotive factories as well as the Ascó and Vandellòs nuclear power stations in Tarragona. Furthermore, Feijóo asserted that Catalonia accounts for 40% of all illegal property occupations in Spain, arguing that property owners must be guaranteed protection against squatting.

Security demands and party leadership

Other prominent party figures spoke at Turó Caritg Park, focusing on local crime and national politics. Badalona Mayor Xavier García Albiol urged Feijóo to change national legislation regarding squatting and repeat offenders, arguing that individuals with more than 10 criminal convictions should not remain on the streets. Albiol noted that crime in Badalona has fallen faster than the Catalan average, though municipal administrations lack the statutory tools to resolve repeat offences. Catalonian party leader Alejandro Fernández criticized the national government over the migration situation in Ceuta and predicted a change of administration under Feijóo. European People's Party Secretary General Dolors Montserrat also attended the event as the party launched its political campaign.

Fernández addressed the crowd regarding the party's political resolve:

All of this will be possible because we are not afraid of anything or anyone, because when you have the Spanish people by your side, you should fear nothing.