Territorial identity and presidential leadership: institutional Andalusianism in the 2022 Andalusian campaign

Abstract

This article analyzes how Juan Manuel Moreno and the People’s Party of Andalusia articulated a form of institutional Andalusianism during the 2022 Andalusian election campaign. Institutional Andalusianism is understood here as a non-antagonistic appropriation of Andalusian identity by the regional government, compatible with Spanish identity and organized around the presidency of the Junta. Based on a qualitative content analysis of 96 news articles and their main images (June 3–17, 2022), the study codes territorial references, personalization of leadership, management agenda, and level of journalistic scrutiny. The results indicate, first, personalization: Moreno is presented as a moderate, approachable, and stable figure, and his name tends to displace the party brand in the campaign narrative. Second, Andalusian identity appears to be redefined as institutional property, through the use of symbols and territorial appeals in a deconflictualized register. Third, the analyzed coverage offers conditions of low critical friction, with declarative narratives predominating over sustained contrast. Without inferring effects on voting or reception, the case suggests that sub-state conservative leaders can reshape territorial identities through continuity, management, and moderation, without resorting to open confrontation.