The spokesperson of the municipal group Vox in the Valencia City Council, Juanma Badenas, has resigned from the exclusive dedication as councilor, as announced this Tuesday before the start of the municipal plenary session.
Badenas’ resignation comes after the socialist group announced a complaint to the Valencia Anti-Fraud Agency to investigate the possible fraudulent use of public resources by the mayor, María José Catalá (PP), by granting the maximum salary to everyone. Vox councilors. Furthermore, it occurs a day after the mayor opened the door to integrating Vox into the local government after pointing out that trust is being “strengthened.”
According to Badenas, “the municipal group Vox is not sold for a few euros” and he explained that he will appear this Tuesday before the secretary of the council to request his part-time dedication.
“The municipal group Vox is a free group, which makes its decisions based on the interest of the city of Valencia and the Valencians,” he defended and assured that the members of his group have their lives “perfectly planned” and “not “they need to live on political salaries.”
He has criticized “the schemes and demonstrations made by the members of Compromís and the PSPV who are nobody in civil life; it does not correspond to Vox.”
“I am not a politician,” he assured and recalled that councilor Pepe Gosalbez, with an important professional career, already requested his part-time dedication “a long time ago” and has not ruled out other members of Vox doing so. “Let those who have no choice but to live on political salaries be left with exclusive dedication,” he concluded.
Asked about this matter, the PP spokesperson in the City Council, Juan Carlos Caballero, assured before the plenary session that “they do not interpret” political decisions of each group and that “they are within their rights”, in addition to ensuring that they are studying whether they will offer the exclusive dedication to other members of the consistory.
For her part, the socialist spokesperson in the City Council, Sandra Gómez, has indicated that upon learning of the PSPV’s complaint to Vox “fears have set in,” because it is “well founded.”
He has defended that “an illegal and unfair distribution – of the exclusive dedications – was made with the rest of the corporation” and recalled that the resolution is signed by the mayor, María José Catalá, and will have to give “explanations in public and judicially.” why he made a decision that is illegal, unjust and violated the rights of the opposition.
