When Aznar decided to leave the leadership of PP in 2004 he appointed Mariano Rajoy as his succesor. Following PP's tradition of lack of internal democracy and pluralism, he imposed his decision on the party. However after he left he was appointed Honorary President of PP and president of FAES, the most influential conservative think tank within PP.
He also made sure that his voice was heard within the new 'leadership' through the appointment by Rajoy of Eduardo Zaplana (Government spokesperson with Aznar) as party's spokesperson and Angel Acebes (Minister of the Interior with Aznar at the time of the Madrid bombings and its aftermath of accusations of manipulation of information) as Secretary General of the party.
The appointment of the two Aznar hard-liners together with his control of FAES have proven Rajoy's lack of independence from his predecessor and his inability to take control of the party to set up his own political agenda.
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