The president of the Cortes of Castilla y León and Vox candidate for the Presidency of the Junta in the elections of last March 15, Carlos Pollán, has "totally" rejected the possibility that PP and Vox close a governance agreement before next Tuesday, April 14, the date on which the Parliament of the XII Legislature will be constituted. In this way, he distances himself from what happened four years ago, when the pact that granted the presidency of the Cortes to Vox was closed on the same day the mandate began.
Pollán has insisted that the negotiation with the Popular Party will be "long" and "very meticulous" and has stressed that Vox's goal is to achieve a programmatic agreement "measure by measure" and "with guarantees of compliance" that allows modifying the policies in the Community.
"We have no interest in being in a government to leave," Pollán remarked, alluding to the process opened in 2022 with the entry of Vox into the Government of Castilla y León —a party that abandoned all regional executives in July 2024— and which they now want to resume to continue promoting the changes they advocate for the region. In this context, he stressed that, on this occasion, it will have to be done "in a totally different way" and has once again offered his hand to the Popular Party.
He has also defended that the conversations between PP and Vox should develop on the sidelines of the media noise. In his judgment, "normally when there is much talk in the press about a possible agreement, as we want this one to be and for it to be productive for Castilla y León, I believe that the fact that we are with statements every day in the media does not help much".
The leader of Vox has also explained that he maintains a "cordial and fluid relationship" with the president of the PP in Castilla y León, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, who, as the winner of the regional elections on March 15, has "the need and the obligation" to try to form a government "for which he does not have a majority," he remarked.
"The Popular Party is the one that has to take that initiative and we are going to see if we are capable of trying to reach an agreement", he has declared.
Future distribution of the Bureau of the Cortes
Asked if Vox will present candidates for all positions on the Board of the Cortes —composed of six positions: the Presidency, two vice-presidencies and three secretariats— Pollán has indicated that they have not yet made a decision and has reiterated that his party "does not fight for seats".
He has also admitted that, with the current correlation of forces resulting from the polls and the application of the Regulations, "it would not be feasible" for Vox to have two positions in the governing body of Parliament. However, he has recalled that the formation could achieve more than one seat if one of the two majority parties renounced presenting a candidacy for any of them, given that the two vice-presidencies and the three secretariats are chosen by number of votes, without the need for a second round, unlike the Presidency.
Balance of his/her period at the head of the Cortes
The statements by Carlos Pollán have occurred after inaugurating the academic conference "The illegitimate possession of works of art and their restitution: legal framework and institutional practice", framed within the Nostra et Mundi project, with which he has put an end to his work as president of the Cortes.
Pollán has stated he feels "very happy, very satisfied and very honored" for having served as president of the Cortes of Castilla y León and having become the first institutional position of Vox. He has recognized that the position entailed "a great responsibility" and that it had "difficult beginnings". "Now it is more normalized --the entry of Vox into institutions-- and everything is simpler," he has pointed out.
"Surely I will have made mistakes, because no one is exempt from doing so, but I leave satisfied with the work done, with the relationship with everyone, with the attorneys of all political parties, despite the beginnings that all of you know were very difficult, and above all also with the staff of the house, who I believe is exceptional and is the one who makes all of this work as well as it does," he stated.
In this vein, he has reiterated that he is leaving his political stage in the Legislature "with a very good taste in his mouth" and has advised his successor to try to be the president "of all".
"That sometimes creates certain problems first with your direct rivals before you are president of the Cortes, and also with your own you can have differences, as we have had during the legislature, but above all that he tries to be the president of all the procurators of these Cortes of Castilla y León, because ultimately we represent the citizens, we are not ourselves", he added.
Finally, he has advised that all solicitors be equally protected and that the application of the Regulation and the strict compliance with all parliamentary procedures be ensured.