The president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, is finalizing the structure and composition of his new regional government these days, which will finally incorporate three vice presidencies. Two of them will remain under PP control, to which is added the one already agreed with Vox for Manuel Gavira, who will assume the competencies of Tourism, Deregulation, Justice and Local Administration.
One day after signing the legislative agreement with Vox, Moreno announced that the next Executive would count "probably" with 13 ministries, the same number as at present, and that the vice presidency reserved for Gavira would not be "the only one" in the organizational chart.
After officially swearing in office this Sunday, the Andalusian leader is already working with the outline of a cabinet with three vice presidencies, as 'popular' sources have indicated to Europa Press. His intention is to close the configuration of the new team in a few days to be able to hold the first meeting of the Governing Council at the end of this week, presumably next Friday.
A central issue at the moment is to define the architecture of the Executive and the distribution of areas among the different ministries, given that the Vice Presidency that Gavira will hold will integrate the competencies of Tourism, Justice and Local Administration, currently divided into two departments, in addition to adding those related to Deregulation.
Moreno must also fit in the promised Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Technological Development, announced on the first day of the 17M electoral campaign. However, after the pact with Vox, the option that it will not be created as an independent ministry, but linked to one of the existing portfolios, is gaining strength.
Repullo, in the running for the new Executive
Among the names that are being strongly considered for incorporation into Moreno's Government is the general secretary of the PP-A, Antonio Repullo. He has been one of the direct negotiators with Vox to unblock the investiture and already has experience in the Junta, where he served as Government delegate in Córdoba during Moreno's first term.
When questioned on Canal Sur Radio about whether he sees himself as a future vice president, Repullo resorted to a footballing parallel with the Spanish national team in the World Cup. "Sometimes it's our turn to play and other times it's others, this is a team, when Spain plays, not all the national team players come out, 11 come out," he said.
After emphasizing that he is "proud" of his role as secretary general of the PP-A, Repullo added that "individualities are of little use and President Moreno will put together the best possible team so that Andalusians can continue to enjoy a government that looks out for their future".
The Vice Presidency that Vox will manage leaves the continuity of the current councilors of Tourism and Exterior Andalusia, Arturo Bernal, and of Justice, Local Administration and Public Function, José Antonio Nieto, in an uncertain situation, as Gavira will assume most of their attributions.
Currently, only two councilors remain in the Andalusian Executive since Moreno's first cabinet in 2019, then in coalition with Ciudadanos (Cs) and with parliamentary support from Vox: the heads of Employment, Enterprise and Self-Employment, Rocío Blanco, and of Culture and Sport, Patricia del Pozo.
Reconfiguration in the Andalusian Parliament
The PP-Vox pact also implies movements in the Parliament's Bureau. The popular Ana Mestre will have to cede the first vice presidency to a Vox representative, which is already present in this body through the deputy Beatriz Sánchez Agustino, with a voice but no vote. In addition, the popular party will cede to Vox one of the five senators corresponding to them in representation of the Andalusian Parliament, so that Santiago Abascal's party will have two senators through this route in the Upper House.
This Monday, the president of the Junta, Juanma Moreno, was seen talking to Ana Mestre after the institutional event held in the Parliament to mark the 141st anniversary of Blas Infante, father of the Andalusian homeland, which has fueled speculation about the new destination that the PP parliamentarian for Cádiz could assume.
For this Wednesday, at 11:00 a.m., a telematic meeting of the Parliament's Bureau has been convened, in which the calling of a Plenary session to ratify the changes in the governing body of the regional Chamber, as well as the designation of senators representing the community, could be addressed. After the PP-Vox agreement, four will correspond to the PP, three to the PSOE-A, and two to Vox.