Madrid Mayor will not ask his party again to include him as a candidate for Congress

GallardГіn's requests to be included on the Partido Popular lists for last year's general election were turned down after opposition from his party rival, the President of the Madrid Region

The Partido Popular Mayor of Madrid says he will not ask his party again to be included on their list of candidates for Congress, as he does not, he said, want to be вЂ˜that man who trips over the same stone twice’. Alberto Ruiz-GallardГіn had repeatedly asked to be included on the list in the months previous to last year’s general election, but opposition to that from his rival in the party, Esperanza Aguirre, President of the Madrid Region, finally led party leader Mariano Rajoy to refuse permission.

Gallardón said at the time that he would have to consider his future in politics, but last month announced that he would be standing for re-election as Mayor of Madrid in the 2011 municipal poll. There had been speculation until then that he could make a move on the party’s leadership.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday after the Madrid city government’s weekly meeting, GallardГіn said his team has already started working on what, if re-elected, would be his third legislature as Mayor of Madrid. He declined to give any details however, and said what must come first is Madrid’s bid to host the 2016 Olympics. вЂ˜After that,’ he said, вЂ˜there will be time to think of other things’.

The International Olympic Committee will announce its decision on the 2016 host city at the beginning of October.