PP and Vox finalize the pact in the Valencian Community

Valencia / BarcelonaThe People's Party (PP) and Vox are finalizing the details to seal the agreement that should allow Juanfran Pérez Llorca to be invested as the new president of the Valencian Generalitat. Sources present at the negotiations explained to ARA that both parties are working towards announcing the pact in the coming days and holding the investiture session next week. For the talks to be successful, some loose ends remain. These are the "final" approvals for many points already agreed upon. In this regard, it should be noted that in the case of the PP, everything must be vetted by the national leadership of Alberto Núñez Feijóo. As for Vox, its executive committee is already participating directly in the negotiations through its secretary general, Ignacio Garriga, and his right-hand woman, Montserrat Lluis. According to sources from the far-right party, the "positive attitude" shown by the PP has been maintained throughout the talks, to the point that they "accepted everything" they asked for.

Less transparent regarding the content, but equally optimistic about the outcome, other sources within the Valencian PP consulted by ARA have stated that the negotiations "are going well" and that an agreement is "very feasible." The timeline is another point of contention between the two parties, with Vox claiming that the pact could be finalized "before Sunday," allowing the investiture session to take place between Monday, November 24th, and Tuesday, November 25th – the debate lasts two days – though the date is not yet confirmed. PP sources, on the other hand, place the vote between November 27th and 28th. To clarify the situation, we will only have to wait until this Thursday when the Les Corts board, responsible for setting the date for the plenary session, meets.

Precisely to meet the deadline, the Popular Party officially registered Juanfran Pérez Llorca's candidacy to head the Valencian Government this Wednesday. They did so on the last possible day to avoid the legislature ending in early elections. In subsequent appearances, both parties expressed points of agreement, but also differences. Regarding the points of agreement, they concurred that there is "great cordiality" and "good harmony" in the talks. Among the points of disagreement, the most notable is that the conservatives stated they would be willing to go to the vote without any document formalizing the agreement, while the party led by Santiago Abascal demands that the pact be sealed beforehand. "I'm not worried about having a document before the vote [...], it's neither necessary nor vital," Pérez Llorca has said, in a statement that leaves it unclear whether it expresses a conviction, a negotiating strategy, or an inconsequential message for the media.

As usual, the most cryptic has been the parliamentary spokesperson for Vox, José María Llanos, who explained that they will not demand a "notarized document," but that their desire is to reach an agreement before the investiture session. According to the far-right politician, both parties are "negotiating," there is still no "finalized" agreement, but there is a willingness to reach "the best possible agreement."

Against the migrant population and "climate terrorism"

One of the points both parties are keeping most secret is the content of their talks. However, Vox has explained that the agreement must include measures that penalize migrants. This includes proposals such as vetoing the distribution of care for unaccompanied foreign minors among the autonomous communities and prioritizing Spanish citizens in receiving social assistance—a point this newspaper has already covered. The far-right party is also demanding measures against what it calls the "climate terrorism of the Green Deal and the 2030 Agenda," a commitment to a minimal tax policy with significant cuts, and the consolidation of measures against the Valencian language. Furthermore, and linked to last year's devastating floods, it is demanding that the People's Party (PP) invest in infrastructure projects such as dams and levees on rivers and streams, while simultaneously denying the existence of climate change and eliminating policies to mitigate or prevent it, including in agriculture. Throughout the negotiations, the PP's determination to avoid elections at all costs has become clear, while Vox has sought to send a message to the president of Extremadura, María Guardiola, and to Feijóo himself, regarding Vox's influence on the government's program.

Support from María José Catalá

In the realm of symbolism, a striking gesture took place this Wednesday: before attending the Valencian Parliament, Juanfran Pérez Llorca visited Valencia City Hall to demonstrate that he has the support of the mayor of Valencia, María José Catalá, Feijóo's preferred candidate to lead the Valencian PP in the long term. Catalá, a conservative leader, stated that she was the first to sign Pérez Llorca's candidacy—something all members of the party in the Valencian Parliament are required to do—and defended her colleague as the PP's "clear choice." "I leave here knowing I have the support and affection of the mayor," said the PP candidate for president of the Generalitat, who is already looking beyond the 2027 regional elections, when the race for the presidency will begin, potentially with a contest between Pérez Llorca and the Valencian candidate, Catalá.