But many Spaniards still compare Mr Aznar unfavourably with Felipe Gonzalez, his Socialist forerunner.
Felipe Gonzalez, a former Spanish one, was once much-fancied but now looks over-embroiled in controversies back home.
But Spain's last Socialist government, led by Felipe Gonzalez, fell largely because it was seen to be corrupt.
Most of the possible contenders, starting with Felipe Gonzalez, the Socialists' long-serving former prime minister, have ruled themselves out.
Felipe Gonzalez, the former Spanish prime minister, who was once the golden boy of the European left, seems to be distinctly disgruntled.
The man who most obviously fits that bill is Felipe Gonzalez, Spain's former prime minister, who was favoured by Helmut Kohl last time around.
It was a similar campaign, after all, by a right-leaning newspaper, El Mundo, that helped bring down the Socialists and their then leader, Felipe Gonzalez.
One name often mentioned is Felipe Gonzalez, a former prime minister of Spain, who is also seen as a possible next president of the European Commission.
Former Spanish prime minister Felipe Gonzalez, a socialist, is seen as a potential rival to Mr Blair, as is Jean-Claude Juncker, the veteran centre-right Luxembourg prime minister.
Surely Mr Blair's bosom pal in Spain should be Felipe Gonzalez, the Socialists' former leader who modernised his party, shoved his country rightwards, and headed its government for nearly 14 years?
His new spokesman, Pio Cabanillas, previously ran state television, but he was once also high up in Prisa, the powerful media group long close to the Socialists, and especially to their former leader, Felipe Gonzalez.
"Felipe Torrealba has been a violent career offender with a criminal history which dates back to 2000, " Angel Gonzalez, deputy assistant director of the U.S. Marshals Investigative Operations Division, said in a statement.
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