PP and Vox have been a 'couple of convenience' for four months, oscillating between pact and tension

The rope is tightened in the Balearic Islands, but those of Santiago Abascal enter the government of the city of Valencia

MADRID, 22 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Shortly after the first hundred days of the coalition governments at the municipal and regional level of PP and Vox that emerged from the 28M elections, relations between the partners are tense in some territories and fluid in others. Thus, in the same week, Vox has stopped the budgets of the Balearic Islands in response to the abstention of the PP in an initiative on languages ​​in schools and those of Santiago Abascal have reached an agreement with the 'popular' to join the government of the city of Valencia.

Vox suffered the first loss of a regional councilor at the beginning of October. It was the Forest Management and Rural World of the Government of Extremadura, Camino Limia, and her departure fueled rumors of crisis in the Extremaduran Executive, whose formation was already convulsed by María Guardiola's initial refusal to include those of Santiago Abascal in the autonomous government.

Limia cited "personal reasons" for resigning, but there were questions about the reasons why he resigned from his position. Of course, Guardiola herself, the counselor's replacement, Ignacio Higuero, and the party at the national level denied at all times that there was any crisis in the Extremaduran Executive.

Since then, the most tense episode has occurred this week in the Balearic Islands, where the PP governs alone by virtue of a programmatic agreement with Vox. Those from Santiago Abascal decided on Tuesday not to support the 'popular' spending ceiling proposal in response to the PP's abstention in its initiative on the choice of language in Early Childhood and Primary. After this, the Balearic Government and Vox accused each other of not complying with the investiture agreements.

The PP wanted to introduce three amendments to the Vox proposal, but they registered them late and could not be debated. From Santiago Abascal's party they emphasize that they enriched the text and it was most likely that they would succeed. In reference to the spending ceiling, Vox wanted to lower it a little and were waiting for the debate, but after the abstention, the spokesperson in the Parliament, Idoia Ribas, made the decision not to support the 'popular' proposal.

However, Vox insists to Europa Press that there is no crisis with the PP and no "disagreement." Of course, the party in the Balearic Islands emphasizes that the "recovery of linguistic freedom" in the Balearic Islands "is agreed upon" and, in fact, they condition the scheduling of the language election to "unlocking" the approval of the spending ceiling.

For its part, the Balearic PP denies that it has changed its position in relation to the language initiative, but says that it cannot support it in the terms in which it was initially voted on. Both are waiting to formally address the matter, although there are contacts. The general secretary of Vox, Ignacio Garriga, is also scheduled to travel there this week, after his flight on Thursday was cancelled.

Furthermore, the situation in the Balearic Islands has led to the replacement of Vox's deputy spokesperson in the Balearic Parliament. Ribas appointed Sergio Rodríguez for Francisco José Cardona, who was in favor of supporting the PP.

In this context, the vice president of the Balearic Government and Minister of Economy, Finance and Innovation, Antoni Costa, believes that "it is evident that there is an internal crisis in the Vox parliamentary group" and hopes that "they keep their word."

Meanwhile, in the Community of Madrid, the tense relationship between PP and Vox has been going on for a long time, but this week the tensions have been staged in a plenary session of the Assembly due to an initiative by Vox to demand that the president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, the 'parental pin' and the review of school textbooks. The PP abstained. "Ayuso maintains indoctrination in the classrooms," Vox complained after the vote.

In addition, Vox has suffered a disagreement with Foro Asturias, with whom they shared the Government of Gijón, forming a tripartite with the PP. The announcement by the Councilor for Celebrations, Sara Álvarez Rouco, from Vox, to make changes to the city's International Film Festival (FICX) led to the breaking of the government pact.

The mayor of Gijón, Carmen Moriyón, ended the agreement hours after Álvarez Rouco proposed opening the FICX to more audiences, in line with his party's line, and moving it away from "biases and partisanship." Moriyón, by breaking the pact, alleged that Vox had not been able to exercise the responsibilities given to them by the citizens and, furthermore, those of Abascal had "put their initials before the general interest."

The crisis caused Vox councilor Oliver Suárez to leave the party after Álvarez Rouco accused him of "disloyalty" for, in the councilor's words, "appealing to dialogue with government partners." Suárez left criticizing his formation: "Now are the times of order and command, without the possibility of even being listened to," he said.

However, and in parallel, the PP and Vox have closed an agreement by which the councilors of the municipal group of the Abascal party become part of the government team of the 'popular' mayor María José Catalá in the Valencia City Council.

Almost five months has been the time in which the PP has been able to govern in a minority with 13 of the 33 councilors in the town hall of the Valencian capital, months that have ended with the 'popular' needing the votes of the four Vox councilors to approve issues such as tax ordinances and the next municipal budgets, for which an absolute majority is required.

After 15 days of negotiations, Vox enters with three areas of the council and ten delegations. These competencies include Employment, Entrepreneurship and Training, Parks and Gardens, Devesa-Albufera, Beaches, Agriculture, Family, Youth, Childhood, Seniors, Health and Consumption and Traditions, which includes festivals but without Fallas. The latter remain in the hands of the PP. In addition, the Vox spokesperson in the City Council, Juanma Badenas, becomes second deputy mayor.

At the national level, the relationship between PP and Vox has also gone through delicate moments and the tension reached its peak when the support of the 33 deputies of the Abascal party in the investiture of Alberto Núñez Feijóo was in question after the constituent session of the XV Legislature in Congress.

The relationship became strained due to the PP's decision not to give up a position on the Congressional Board to Vox, which understood this gesture as an attempt to create a "sanitary cordon" for them. This circumstance felt bad within the party, which then highlighted the "evident lack of generosity" of the 'popular', in contrast to their own because they had already secured their votes for Feijóo.

After this, the Vox leader asked the PP to publicly value the agreements signed for five regional governments and a hundred city councils and work to "recover the institutions and democratic normality."

The 'popular' leader responded to their requests and assured that the PP maintains a "normal democratic relationship" with them, thanked them for their support and stressed that they work together in various executives, ensuring that this "collaboration" will be maintained.