The municipal groups of PSOE and Con Podemos-IU have referred to the extraordinary plenary session this morning called for the approval of the 2024 budgets of the City of Seville as a vodevil, circus-like situation. The outcome of the vote was predetermined as all political groups were going to oppose it. This was a necessary step for Mayor José Luis Sanz to announce the presentation of a vote of confidence and distance the specter of Vox entering the council. The mayor announced that he would be resorting to this option, which will be debated on Friday in another extraordinary session. This strategy mirrors that followed by the mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, and his predecessor, Ada Colau.
The mayor had initially abandoned the 2024 budgets earlier in the year after realizing he would not have support from the opposition to extend the 2023 budgets, which were prepared by the PSOE. The opposition has announced that they will oppose the vote of confidence, and all parties will have one month to present a vote of no confidence, but they do not have the necessary absolute majority to do so. The accounts will be approved if no party presents a motion of no confidence. The mayor’s political arithmetic fortune lies in the fact that they will never reach an agreement with Vox. The debate revolved around justifying the vote of confidence rather than the content of the accounts.
The political groups accused the mayor of blocking the city’s governance, while the mayor accused them of weakening his leadership as he governs in the minority. The PSOE and Vox accused each other of uniting against the city of Seville rather than the mayor. The opposition criticized the mayor for using the vote of confidence as a way to force the budget’s approval, stating that it does not address the issue of governance in Seville. The accounts will not be approved until July due to the mayor’s strategy, leaving little time for their full execution. The mayor faces political exhaustion due to the loss of two crucial votes in a single week.
The mayor decided to reclaim the 2024 budgets amidst political and media storms after reports of negotiations with Vox. There were advanced talks about Vox joining the government, but the PP denied it in response to the public backlash and potential damage to their image. The mayor announced his intention to follow the Collboni strategy to govern with his own budgets. All groups highlighted the mayor’s limited power to govern due to his reliance on the interests of Génova and the Junta de Andalucía. The opposition parties accused the mayor of being under external influence and not representing the best interests of the citizens.
The Collboni strategy ensures the approval of the mayor’s first budgets but at the cost of political exhaustion and uncertainty about other key initiatives. These include urban planning projects, administrative improvements, and land modifications. The mayor’s lack of progress in areas like cleanliness and regulation of tourist apartments has been criticized, along with controversial proposals such as charging visitors to enter Plaza de España. The mayor’s unconventional ideas have damaged the image of Seville and have not brought significant positive change as promised during his campaign.
