The President of the Extremadura Assembly, María Guardiola, addressed the assembly on December 19th. The Government of Castilla y León extended the regional budgets of 2024 after failing to reach an agreement with Vox. This follows the example of the Balearic Islands, where the budget for 2025 was withdrawn due to lack of support from the far-right party. However, several capital cities like Zaragoza and Alicante were able to approve their budgets after an agreement between the PP and Vox. There is uncertainty within the PP national leadership about the decisions being made by Vox in different regions regarding budget negotiations.
The PP acknowledges that Vox’s stance on budget negotiations varies across the six autonomous communities where the far-right party holds the key to stability. Apart from Castilla y León and the Balearic Islands, regions like Extremadura, Aragon, Murcia, and the Valencian Community are waiting to see if they can pass their budgets for 2025. Vox suspended talks with the PP earlier in the month due to disagreements regarding migration policy, leading to the breakdown of negotiations in two regions. This puts pressure on the PP, as they call for elections while struggling to pass budgets in several of their governed regions.
The remaining PP-governed regions are still grappling with budget uncertainties, with regional presidents urging Vox to reach an agreement. President of Extremadura, María Guardiola, criticized Vox for pushing unrealistic demands and raising concerns about the need for a majority that can move past hindrances. Meanwhile, tensions between the PP and Vox are also high in Murcia, with government officials attempting to sway the far-right party with appeals to common good principles as articulated by the King in his Christmas message.
Despite challenges in some regions, the PP remains optimistic about reaching agreements with Vox in the Valencian Community and Aragon following recent natural disasters. A discreet meeting between PP and Vox representatives in December aimed at bridging differences, but the success of such discussions remains uncertain. The PP considers the potential advantage of holding elections in certain regions where Vox’s obstructionism could work against them.
The prospect of an electoral showdown in some regions in 2025, targeting both Vox and the PSOE, is gaining traction within the PP leadership. Speculation includes the possibility of early elections in Castilla y León, Baleares, and even Andalucía. The issues surrounding budget negotiations with Vox serve as a potential trigger for electoral maneuvers. The shifting dynamics between the PP and Vox at the regional level have wider implications for the national political landscape, highlighting the complexities of coalition politics and power dynamics within the Spanish right-wing spectrum.
