Carlos Mazón closes a joint Council and Vox presses to gather more powers
Vox has hit a last-minute squeeze in the negotiation of the fine print of the coalition government with the Popular Party in the Valencian Community. Those of Santiago Abascal want the three ministries awarded to them in the agreement (Agriculture, Justice and Culture, the latter with the rank of vice-presidency) to come under their control without being mutilated in their powers, as the popular ones have slipped since that the document that guaranteed Carlos Mazón the presidency of the Generalitat was signed. Since then, although it was not explicit in the agreement, it has been taken for granted in areas of the PP that the environment and water would be separated from Agriculture, that the Vice President of Culture, Vicente Barrera, would not have powers over the policies of Historical Heritage, the Valencian Library or the book and that the relationship with officials would be split from Justice to end up in the Treasury, in the hands of the popular.
However, this Tuesday, the head of the Vox list for Congress for Valencia, Carlos Flores, issued a revealing warning of the hidden pulse for the competitions that has been taking place in recent days.. In an appearance before the media prior to an electoral act and without prior question, the ultra-conservative candidate warned: “What we want is that the distribution of tasks, the distribution of responsibilities in that Government, be a distribution with the terms that we signed now a month ago. If Vox is going to assume responsibilities in matters of Culture, in matters of Agriculture and Justice and Public Administrations, it should do so in the integrity of what any minimally trained citizen understands to be Agriculture, Justice or Culture. A balanced cast between two loyal partners. I don't think it can be any other way and that's how we hope tomorrow,” he said after pointing out that “some will be more aware of the names. Vox is more aware of the distribution of powers”.
In the words of Flores, many clues were already coming. In the case of the Ministry of Justice, the government pact talks about Justice, the Interior and the Interior. The allusion to “Public Administration” points to the powers in the relationship with officials (Public Service). It is a sensitive area that the PP wanted to reserve so as not to find surprises or fires beyond its control. Part of Vox's objectives would have already been met, as El Confidencial has learned. While waiting to know the complete distribution of powers, Vicente Barrera's team has informed that of the outgoing Minister of Education and Culture, Raquel Tamarit, that the former bullfighter will fully assume the powers of Culture, including the General Directorate of Heritage, of the which depends on the Museum of Fine Arts of Valencia, the restoration and conservation of buildings and cultural assets, the Valencian Library and the book policy. This would be added to what was taken for granted that would end up under the umbrella of Barrera, the Valencian Institute of Culture, the IVAM or the Palau de les Artes, which the popular had also considered taking directly to the Presidency in the face of doubts about the plans by Vox.
The president of the Valencian Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, announces this Wednesday morning the composition of his coalition government. The new Council will have 10 portfolios, including the Presidency, and four or five councilors will be women, according to sources from the Popular Party. It is not officially admitted, but the search for parity aims to counter the controversies in recent weeks over the agreement with the ultra-conservatives, deniers of gender violence. In the same key, Mazón announced last week in his inauguration speech that equality policies will have the rank of vice-presidency, in a department that will group social policies and that a woman linked to the Popular Party will occupy.. The names that are being considered, without confirmation, are that of the Secretary of State for Social Affairs with Mariano Rajoy, Susana Camarero, or that of the regional deputy Elena Bastidas.
That area will have the rank of second vice-presidency. On paper, it will be below the first of Vicente Barrera, the theoretical strong man of Vox. But in practice the PP councilor will have much more real weight. Until now, the portfolio was occupied by Aitana Mas (Compromís) and was endowed with more than 2,300 million euros, but it could also add the area of cooperation for development and housing, managed by Unidas Podemos in the Consell del Botànic. In fact, the former purple ministers Héctor Illueca and Rosa Pérez, or their representing undersecretaries, have been summoned on Thursday for the transfer of portfolios in the vice presidency.
Nuria Montes in Industry
The PP has reserved the portfolios with the greatest economic weight, both in budget terms and in relation to the productive sectors. The former spokesperson for Ciudadanos and now an independent deputy for the PP, Ruth Merino, could rise to Minister of Finance, although there is also speculation for this position with the professor at the Miguel Hernández de Elche University and director of the tax agency of the Provincial Council of Alicante , Jose Antonio Belso. It is taken for granted that the current general secretary of the Hosbec hotel management, Nuria Montes, will be responsible for a new Department of Industry, Tourism and Innovation, which will add powers from the current Innovation and Economy departments and will be based in Alicante. Of these two, Universities and all employment policies (Labor) will be separated, which will be integrated into Education. That of Montes is a personal bet of Mazón that is viewed with some suspicion by other economic sectors and by subsectors of the tourism sector itself, such as tourist accommodation, in conflict with hoteliers..
Waiting for what happens with the environment and water, if they finally leave the orbit of Vox in Agriculture, Territory or Infrastructures is another of the areas that could be directed by a woman. The name of the councilor of Castellón, Salomé Pradas, is being considered. For Health, the ministry with the most budgets, the names of Marciano Gómez, who was already a strong man in the department in the Eduardo Zaplana stage, and Francisco Ponce, former general director of the Murcian Health Service, are being considered..
On the Vox side, the names that are being considered, in addition to Barrera, are that of the regional deputy José Luis Aguirre in Agriculture and the lawyer Belén Gil, daughter of the provincial president of Vox, Ignacio Gil Lázaro, in Justice.