The new mayoress of Valencia, María José Català, confirmed on Saturday that the first pages of her history at the helm of Spain’s third city will be marked solely and exclusively by the elements that define her leadership, without interference. Marking a strategic distance from Vox, a formation with which he has not wanted to negotiate anything to strengthen his investiture, and imposing his own story, which included a forceful denunciation of the effects of gender and sexist violence one day after number two of the formation of Abascal in Valencia will underline his denial in this matter. The wall erected by Catalá against Vox at this first moment of the legislature caused the spokesman for this formation, Juan Manuel Badenas, to brand his government at the investiture plenary session as “amoral” and “partisan”. The new mayor has made clear her desire to corner Vox.
Catalá achieved 13 councilors, who are the ones with whom he will form his government. Compromís has 9 and the PSPV achieved 7; together they add up to more than the PP. Vox has four. It is important to observe the numbers, since the new mayor has bet heavily on a minority government. A risk that she has assumed, aware that in the future she could need the votes of Vox to reach agreements if she does not obtain the support of the left. But the strong message sent by Catalá regarding Vox also appeals to the PSPV and Compromís, to the extent that it will depend on them, if possible, that Abascal’s formation does not participate in the decisions of the city government. It seems reasonable to think that the mayoress will try to carry out her entire electoral program seeking complicity, and consensus, that prevent Vox’s drive from contaminating government action. The lesson of what happened in Barcelona, ??in this regard, is important; will have effects.
Vox has obtained an important victory, more symbolic than executive, by closing an agreement with the PP in the Generalitat Valenciana in which the foundations of its cultural story in matters such as gender violence, climate denialism or the persecution of illegal immigration. An issue that has generated not a little concern in Genoa. Yesterday, even Feijóo himself had to re-emphasize that the PP will always fight against sexist violence. Vox has achieved even more plots of power in Valencian municipalities such as Elx or Crevillent where their vote was necessary for the PP to reach the mayoralty.
But Vox has not had a chance in Valencia. María José Catalá has not even wanted to sit down and talk with them; she has put them to the test. Being the list with the most votes, the PP leader could take a risk, she knew that they would not vote for the continuity of a left-wing local executive. It was an advantage that the popular ones do not have in the Valencian Cortes. Catalá has known how to get the most political advantage out of its situation, and marks a path in which, sooner or later, the left of the city of Valencia will be questioned so that the Valencia City Council never has to see any of its policies conditioned by Vox. That is the key to what happened on Saturday.
PS: Joan Ribó offered an example of political elegance on Saturday in his farewell as mayor and in his way of welcoming the new mayoress. A lesson that the PP did not offer in 2015 and that should be the norm in institutional coexistence. His gesture was unanimously recognized.
