PP and Vox have announced this Wednesday an agreement to govern in Aragon, which follows another in Extremadura and which presumably anticipates a next pact in Castilla y León. Both parties have drawn a similar roadmap in the documents that have been signed to date, and everything indicates that this will be the path to follow for future investiture announcements.
What has been agreed upon so far revolves around a controversial concept that both formations interpret in their own way, questioned by the opposition and which poses a difficult legal fit according to Vox's reading of the matter.
It is the concept of "national priority", the one that caused so much uproar when the Extremaduran pact came to light and which this Wednesday has once again awakened the rejection of the Government and the opposition when it was announced from Zaragoza that Jorge Azcón will finally be invested president in the region, also with this principle included in the agreement.
Hours before it was announced, the rumor of an "imminent" pact that Santiago Abascal, leader of Vox, anticipated in the same vein as what was agreed in Extremadura, was already being heard.
"We offer the same thing throughout Spain," he assured in a televised interview. Now, all eyes are on Valladolid, where everything indicates that the formula that PP and Vox have used so far to secure their respective regional governments will be repeated.
Mérida, the antechamber of everything
The scheme in Aragón follows the logic already applied in Extremadura, with Vox incorporated into the government structure and a programmatic agreement of stability articulated around the "national priority". Therefore, it is to be assumed that this will be the same roadmap that future negotiations will follow.
What was agreed in Extremadura?
For Vox:
- Vice Presidency of 'Deregulation', Social Services and Family.
- Department of Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Environment.
- The senator by autonomous designation.
In migratory matters, the pact establishes a very restrictive position, with the rejection of the reception of unaccompanied foreign minors and the creation or expansion of reception centers for irregular immigrants. In the fiscal sphere, the agreement includes a progressive reduction of personal income tax in regional brackets or bonuses in inheritance tax in certain cases.
In the social and public aid sphere, the principle of "national priority" is introduced, which links access to benefits to criteria of roots, contributions, and permanence, excluding people in irregular situations except in cases of vital urgency.
In energy and industry, the pact aims to shield the continuity of the Almaraz nuclear power plant, eliminate the energy ecotax, and promote industrial revitalization plans.
In agriculture, the agreement rejects the 2030 Agenda, the European Green Deal and the trade agreement with Mercosur in its current terms, and proposes measures to strengthen the primary sector, modernize irrigation and simplify environmental regulations. And in healthcare, a budgetary reinforcement is foreseen, the incorporation of new professionals or the reduction of waiting lists.
On the way to Zaragoza
In Aragon, PP and Vox have settled the issue "the Extremadura way":..
What has been agreed upon in Aragon?
For Vox:
- Department of 'Deregulation', Social Welfare and Family.
- Department of Environment and Tourism; and Livestock.
- Department of Agriculture and Food.
- The senator appointed by the autonomous community
On the same line, the document includes that the "national priority" is put on the table when granting public aid or access to protected housing.
Castilla y León... and now what?
After the regional elections of Castilla y León on March 15, the Partido Popular once again positioned itself as the most voted force in the region with 33 seats, followed by the PSOE with 30 and Vox with 14.
On April 14, the regional parliaments were constituted. From that moment on, the President of the Chamber has room to begin consultations with the groups and propose a candidate for investiture, a procedure that must be completed before May 7.
With the agreements of Extremadura and Aragon settled, we can foresee that another pact will soon be announced to govern a region in which, everything points to the 'popular' candidate Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, repeating as president of the Junta.
The acting Minister of Finance, Carlos Fernández Carriedo, has called for "prudence" this Wednesday regarding the negotiation process with Vox and has reiterated that the agreement finally reached will be entirely public and will not include "hidden pacts". Asked about the nature of that agreement and whether it could include the points agreed upon in Aragón and Extremadura, Fernández Carriedo stressed that each autonomous community has its "own circumstances" demographically, socially, and in terms of management.
Beyond that, little else is known about this matter. Just as it has done in Aragon, where Vox doubled its representation to 14 deputies, it is expected that Abascal's party will demand powers from the PP based on its representation in the regional Chamber. The Cortes of Castilla and León have a total of 81 procuradores, which places the absolute majority at 41 seats. In this scenario, Vox has 14 representatives, 17% of the Chamber. In Zaragoza, Abascal's party also has 14 deputies, but in this case its relative weight is greater, reaching around 20% of the Parliament.
In this sense, it could be expected that Vox enters the regional government with three portfolios. Thus, 'Deregulation' and Agriculture are put forward as the main demands of the formation, considering the agreements seen so far, in addition to the senator by regional appointment. It remains to be seen if the principle of "national priority" will also feature in a future and hypothetical investiture agreement.
If two months were to pass since the first vote without any candidate achieving the confidence of the Chamber, the Courts would be automatically dissolved and new elections would be called.