The socialist Maider Etxebarria is the new mayoress of Vitoria-Gasteiz, a position she has achieved thanks to the support of the PNV and the PP, which has allowed her to gather the absolute majority necessary to be sworn in instead of the EH Bildu candidate, Rocío Vitero, whose list was the most voted in the municipal elections.
Vitero’s candidacy has had the votes of the seven councilors of his party and the two of Elkarrekin -the coalition led by Podemos-, which have not been enough to take control of the Álava capital. For his part, Etxebarria has obtained the support of the six councilors from his party, the six from the PNV -governing partner of the PSE-EE in Vitoria-Gasteiz in the last legislature– and the six from the PP. After her inauguration, the new mayoress has offered “stability and agreements” for her city council.
After receiving the municipal command baton, Etxeberria has declared his intention to reissue the government agreement that PSE and PNV maintained in the previous legislature, although he has also offered dialogue to the rest of the formations. Likewise, she has expressed her “immense honor and pride” for being the first woman to lead Vitoria. And she has highlighted that equality between both sexes “is a democratic requirement” and will be a “key axis” of its management.
The results of the elections on May 28 placed EH Bildu as the first political force in the capital of Álava, with 24,845 votes and seven councillors. In second place was the PSE-EE, with 23,909 votes and six councilors, while the PP also obtained six councilors, although with a number of votes (21,853) considerably lower than that achieved by the Socialists.
The PNV, which was the first party in Vitoria-Gasteiz in the 2019 elections and which has presided over the municipal government for the last eight years, also won six seats, although it came in fourth place, with 21,454 votes. For its part, the coalition of left-wing formations headed by Podemos obtained two mayors, with 7,742 votes received.
