Vox leaves the negotiations for Mazón's replacement in the hands of two Catalans

Barcelona / ValenciaFollowing the call between Alberto Núñez Feijóo and Santiago Abascal, negotiations began between the People's Party (PP) and Vox regarding the replacement of Carlos Mazón in the Valencian Community. These negotiations stem from a common thread in all of the far-right party's regional talks. Two Catalans are playing a key role: the Secretary General, Ignacio Garriga, and the Deputy Secretary for Government Action, Montserrat Lluis, who also heads the technical office responsible for standardizing the party's policies across all institutions. According to sources familiar with the matter, Lluis is Garriga's "most trusted" person and his representative in the current telephone conversations, which are expected to include an in-person meeting this week. On the PP side, Vox hopes to meet with the Valencian Secretary General, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, Mazón's potential successor, along with a two-person team he has yet to appoint, as ARA has learned. They may even meet to stage the start of negotiations with Mazón himself. The negotiations will focus on immigration policies and opposition to the European Green Deal, with "national priority" for subsidies and aid potentially holding the key to a future agreement.

It is no coincidence that Catalans Lluís and Garriga are leading the Vox talks, as both are members of the political action committee, the core of Vox's leadership, which also includes its top leader, Santiago Abascal. Lluís is not just anyone; he is a key figure in the Vox machine, and he has also been instrumental in repairing relations with the People's Party (PP) in the Balearic Islands. There, the attack on the normalization of the Catalan language proved the toughest nut to crack because the Balearic PP "sees it as a very sensitive issue," according to sources. Meanwhile, in the Valencian Community, attacks on Catalan had not posed any obstacle, given the widespread support for the banner of linguistic secession and the right-wing cuts to the region's public television. But where are the talks headed following Mazón's resignation?

The content

At this point, according to informed sources, "talks are beginning about holding an in-person meeting" that would be attended by Lluis (Vox) and Pérez Llorca (PP) with their teams, while Garriga could also arrive in Valencia soon, especially for the "key moments" next week. "The names of the future president don't matter; what's important is the purpose," Vox sources maintain. And what is the priority? Immigration and policies against the European Green Deal and the 2030 Agenda, according to sources within the far-right party—beyond the reconstruction efforts following the DANA storm. "The declaration already made by Mazón, endorsing the rhetoric, needs to be translated into concrete policies," they argue. Although no concrete details have been finalized, this could be achieved by establishing a "national priority" for aid and subsidies. "With ingenuity, it can be protected," commented sources from Vox, who also suggest that it is necessary to "stand up" to the Spanish government regarding the distribution of unaccompanied foreign minors, or the opposition to the Common Agricultural Policy.

They diagnose that "the language issue is a battle already won" and that "it's difficult to do more" after "reducing the funding of the Valencian Language Academy to a minimum." The prevailing feeling is that the PP "is focused on the job because they absolutely do not want elections." Despite the PP's scare tactics that "the left is coming" to the Valencian Country, the polls show that the far-right party is close to overtaking in the territory, and that the right-wing bloc could add up. A scenario that Vox sees as ideal because "if they don't want to adopt the policies, there will be elections." A platform that allows them to send a message to Extremadura ahead of the December elections: "Now Feijóo," because "if he wants to govern, he will do so with Vox's program," concludes sources from Abascal's party. In fact, they want to "send a warning to the PP" because "it seems that Mazón's resignation is a script written by Pedro Sánchez, written on the day of the prosecutor's trial," because they have accepted the "blame" and made their move when "they have known for a year that they had to remove Mazón."

The negotiators

Without Luis, nothing gets done in any town hall, any provincial council, or any autonomous community, as this newspaper has observed. Luis brings "harmony" to Vox, literally, since he homogenizes everything to guarantee two basic elements of the party: unity of criteria and proposals throughout Spain, and that there be no "males"Because the national leadership controls everything." This is why Vox functions "like an army," according to the party's own leaders, since hierarchy is key and anyone who breaks it "is dismissed" because there is no autonomy.

Lluis emerged as a key leader after the municipal elections and entered regional governments with the support of the PP.ABCwhere she was deputy director, in addition to heading the Cope group and 13TV, which is controlled by the Spanish Episcopal Conference. Garriga, on the other hand, is Vox's number two, having risen to that position in 2022 and wielding total territorial power, extending beyond his leadership in Catalonia.

The Vox spokesperson in the Valencian Parliament, José María Llanos, will act as a bridge between Catalonia and the Valencian Community. He will not be part of the negotiations but will serve as a liaison. The far-right politician holds a doctorate in law and a degree in political science, but he is not a key figure in the party. In the Valencian Parliament, he is only known for his obedience to directives from Madrid and for delivering a very harsh and aggressive discourse. He does, however, maintain a close relationship with the spokesperson for the People's Party in the Valencian Parliament, Juanfran Pérez Llorca. The conservatives' general secretary is also Mazón's right-hand man and his potential successor should the two parties reach an agreement. Despite representing the more conciliatory wing of the PP, Lorca did not hesitate to lead the negotiations with Vox to invest the now acting president, demonstrating that, beyond his personal positions, he is flexible and capable of adopting some of Abascal's party's arguments.

The PP's commitment

In this context of ongoing negotiations, Feijóo asserted that the PP has "a commitment to Valencia, which was voted on at the ballot box," to "have a government focused on reconstruction" because it is necessary "to maintain the seriousness, rigor, and stability of the Valencian government." "Anything else would be irresponsible, and the citizens would take careful note," he warned this Wednesday regarding a possible snap election. The PP is not entirely confident of reaching an agreement with Vox: they know that Vox would significantly increase the cost of their support.