PP-Vox war in large capitals: from being a 'coalition' to being an opposition in four months

Vox emerged from the May 28 elections with notable autonomous power by becoming the only possible support for the Popular Party to gain majorities.. That guaranteed them vice presidencies, presidencies of parliaments and councils.. Furthermore, the results also made them decisive in the city councils of up to four of the ten large capitals of the country.. However, none of them have their municipal government boards entered..

Four months after the constitution of the City Councils, the votes of Vox councilors are decisive in Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza and Palma de Mallorca, but far from having reached coalition agreements, they have become opposition. Only in the Balearic capital was a programmatic agreement agreed without this implying government work.. In the rest, Vox wants but the PP, for the moment, does not give in. That has led them to increase the pressure.

In Valencia, María José Catalá (PP) recognized Vox as a “preferred partner” because it needs to add those four votes to its 14 councilors. He granted them exclusive dedication, with the salary that entails, but formed his governing board only with the popular councilors once the general elections in July were held.. It is now that Vox raises its voice and aligns itself with the opposition to overthrow the mayor's measures. First he renounced two of those dedications granted and this Wednesday he will say no to the tax ordinance that represents a reduction in municipal taxes. He already voted against, like Compromís and PSOE, the appointment of directors of the Municipal Transport Company (EMT) and once again refused to support the appointment of the manager of the public urban management company AUMSA. Catalá needed the support of the socialists in the face of another 'no' from who was destined to be his “preferred partner”.

The group led by Juanma Badenas has even refused to celebrate civil weddings by the Mayor's delegation.. “They may encounter a problem of coherence with their voters,” they warn at the Valencia City Council.. The escalation of tension has deadlines: the plenary session that must approve the tax ordinances on October 24 and December 31 when the 2024 budget must be approved.

In Seville, the position is the same. Mayor José Luis Sanz formed a government without Vox and since the formation of Abascal they have already reminded him in some plenary sessions, with abstentions and refusals, that his support involves integrating them. In Zaragoza, and despite the agreement reached in the autonomous government, Natalia Chueca (PP) also divided the government action into eight large areas without the participation of Vox and will have to negotiate its support. The same will happen to Luis Barcala in Alicante, although he has encountered less belligerence, for now,

Where coalitions were formed quickly was in Valladolid, Toledo or Elche. The reason is that the Popular Party was not the most voted party and they needed to guarantee votes for their mayoral candidates.. The same thing happened in Gijón, where they have just been expelled by the mayor of Foro, who broke the agreement and has remained in the minority despite the support of PP.