Crisis in PP-Vox Relations: Regional Negotiations Under Supervision of National Leaders

The Spanish political scene at the regional level is facing an escalation of tension between the People's Party (PP) and the Vox party. The central point of contention has become a document prepared by the PP's national authorities, containing a decalogue of negotiation principles with the right. This strategy, aimed at unifying the party's message, has met with disapproval from the PP baron in Andalusia, Juanma Moreno. The politician publicly distanced himself from Madrid's guidelines, emphasizing the need to preserve regional autonomy in talks. Moreno argued that negotiations should be conducted as close to the ground as possible, where local specifics are best understood. The situation in Extremadura remains the most critical. Although the resumption of talks between the candidate for regional president, María Guardiola, and Vox representatives was announced, the meeting was suddenly canceled after leaks to the media. The lack of an agreement before the set investiture deadline of March 4th risks a repeat election. Simultaneously, Vox is experiencing internal turbulence; Santiago Abascal is considering removing José Ángel Antelo from his position as party leader in Murcia, which is interpreted as an attempt to reset structures in that region. These actions coincide with accusations of political fraud leveled by Vox leaders against the PP. The political system in Spain is based on the broad autonomy of its 17 autonomous communities. Since the constitutional transition in the 1970s, these regions have their own parliaments and governments, making local coalitions crucial for the stability of the entire state.In a counterattack against Vox's influence, Juanma Moreno has sharpened his rhetoric, accusing the right-wing party of wanting to eliminate autonomy and pursue centralization of the state. Meanwhile, negotiation successes have been recorded in other parts of the country. In Zaragoza, a record budget exceeding one billion euros was approved after Mayor Natalia Chueca agreed to Vox's demands, including the removal of low-emission zones. Such discrepancies in PP-Vox relations show that the Spanish right has not yet developed a coherent model of co-governance, oscillating between pragmatic cooperation and open confrontation. „Salimos de los gobiernos porque el Partido Popular nos estafó, como estafa a sus electores” (We left the governments because the People's Party defrauded us, just as it defrauds its voters.) — Santiago Abascal Meanwhile, on the European stage, the People's Party has attempted to internationalize domestic disputes, attacking regulations in the European Parliament concerning mandatory V16 transponders in cars. According to the PP, this requirement harms citizens and is unprecedented in other EU countries. Meanwhile, in Spain, a dispute is growing over the celebrations of Andalusia Day (February 28). Juanma Moreno criticized the decision of the socialists from PSOE to boycott the official gala, calling it a historical mistake. All these threads paint a picture of deep polarization, where regional pragmatisms clash with central party strategies ahead of upcoming electoral cycles.