Following the precedent a year ago in the region of Castilla y León, Spain's right-wing People's Party and far-right Vox have this Tuesday opened a new season for the formation of conservative coalitions, as a result of the autonomous community elections of May 28th in much of Spain. In this regard, the Valencian Country is showing the way: to the south of Catalonia, an executive shared between the right and the extreme right has unseated the left-wing coalition of the so-called Botanic pact, as confirmed by Vox after a meeting with the PP regional leader, Carlos Mazón, who will be the new president of the Generalitat of the Valencian Country, with the support of the extremists. As a result of the rapid negotiation, Vox will occupy ministerial positions, the speakership of the Valencian Parliament - and the Vox candidate vetoed by the PP, Carlos Flores, will be able to stand for the party on the lists for the general election in just over a month.
The PP leadership had marked one "red line" in its negotiation of a coalition government with Vox: that the ultra leader, Carlos Flores, should not engage in the "active exercise of politics" because he had been convicted of sexist violence in 2002, as the PP campaign spokesperson, Borja Sémper, explained this Monday. Well, easily solved, because Flores confirmed that he will not be part of the deal for the Valencia Country government but will instead go forward as Vox's candidate for Valencia province in Spain's snap general election on July 23rd. Thus, it was easy for the two right-wing parties to clear the way for a shared government, as confirmed by Flores himself after the meeting with Carlos Mazón.
"There will be a government of change that will respond to the majority will of the Valencian Country autonomous community. It will be a stable government that will respond to the concerns of our voters. It won't consist of separate compartments, but rather will be built on the basis of mutual trust and the sharing of objectives", assured Flores from the Valencian Parliament, where he explained that the ministries his party will hold will be known "before the end of the week". "They will be important portfolios, in line with the contribution made by Vox to the formation of this majority", said Flores.
The agreement in principle, according to Vox
For now, the agreement in principle made between the two parties is based on inaccurate texts and vague phrases. While waiting until the ministerial posts are distributed, the extreme right has made public a document in which "five strategic axes" of the coalition are specified. they are: "Freedom, so that we can all choose"; "Economic development, to reduce unnecessary expenditure and boost the economy"; "Health and social services, to strengthen public health and social services"; "Signs of identity, to defend and recover our signs of identity" and, finally, "Support for families, to promote the birth rate, security and promotion of families".
The deal was done quickly, in less than two hours, because both parties met at 11am at the Valencian Parliament, as part of the round of contacts that PP leader Mazón had started. The future Valencian president had already met with the left wing groups, the Socialists and Compromís, who rejected the legislative agreement offered by the PP, whom they declined to support even on the basis of a cordon sanitaire to bar the access to power of the extreme right. The constitution of the Valencian chamber, over which a far-right speaker will preside, is scheduled for June 26th. Before July 21st, Carlos Mazón will have to face the first investiture debate, to decide on the leadership of the new government, and the PP will have no problems getting over that hurdle thanks to the votes of Vox.