Aragon will hold early elections after the PP-Vox negotiations for the budget failed
The government of Jorge Azcón accuses the far-right of proposing "illegal" measures or measures that fall outside the regional government's jurisdiction.
BarcelonaAragon will hold early elections. This decision was made by the regional president, Jorge Azcón of the People's Party, following the failure of negotiations with Vox to approve the budget, and as he has indicated The CountryThe elections will take place on February 8. "It was not possible to reach any agreement," confirmed the Aragonese Minister of Finance, Roberto Bermúdez de Castro, at a press conference after a final meeting with Santiago Abascal's party. "The measures they are proposing are not legal or are not within the jurisdiction of the Aragonese government," he argued. Azcón announced on Saturday that he was giving himself "a week" to assess whether he had enough support to pass the budget with the far-right, but on Tuesday the Minister of Finance himself had already He stated that the demands of the far right were "absolutely unacceptable." and has already labeled them "illegal." Vox demanded the rejection of the European Green Deal, but also the disregard for environmental regulations on river cleanup. The Aragonese Finance Minister has also made it clear that withdrawing aid to any entity that assists migrants, as requested by Santiago Abascal's party, is unreasonable.
In a previous press conference, after meeting with Azcón, the Vox spokesperson in the Aragonese Parliament, Alejandro Nolasco, lamented the PP's decision and the fact that it did not agree to a pact like the one in the Valencian Community, where the Popular Party Juanfran Pérez Llorca has been invested with the votes of the far right. After adopting much of its far-right agenda, Nolasco said, "We did everything in our power to reach an agreement." He accused the PP of acting out of "political opportunism" and of calling elections to "crush the PSOE and gain a few more votes." The PP's finance minister, however, asserted that Vox's position in the negotiations was "absolutely unwavering."
Four regional elections in six months
With this snap election, Aragon becomes the fourth region governed by the People's Party (PP) to hold elections in the next six months, joining Extremadura (December 21), Castile and León (March), and Andalusia (June). The decision will have repercussions for the Spanish government, as the Socialist candidate, Pilar Alegría, will have to leave the cabinet and, therefore, her position as spokesperson for Pedro Sánchez's government. The same will happen with the Vice President and Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, who will head the Socialist Party's list in the Andalusian elections.
