Mañueco sworn in for third term as Castilla y León president after 80-day pact with Vox, sidesteps anti‑immigrant clause

Inauguration and third term

Alfonso Fernández Mañueco took the oath of office on 11 June 2026 in the Cortes of Castilla y León in Valladolid before about 300 guests. Placing his right hand on the Constitution and the Statute of Autonomy, he assumed the presidency for the third time. His first term began in 2019 after a pact with Ciudadanos; the second, in 2022, was supported by Vox, which later broke the pact in 2024 over disagreement on unaccompanied migrant minors and other pledges.

Coalition with Vox and cabinet

After the regional elections of 15 March 2026, Mañueco needed 80 days of negotiation to renew the coalition with Vox. He won the investiture vote on 9 June with 47 of 82 seats (33 PP, 14 Vox). The new government gives Vox the first vice‑presidency, held by Carlos Pollán, and three ministries: Desregulation and Family, Agriculture and Livestock, and Culture and Sport. The PP retains the second vice‑presidency and seven ministries.

“Vuelvo a agradecer su compromiso, personalizado en Carlos Pollán y el resto de su grupo parlamentario, en la apasionante tarea que nos aguarda.”

A humanist speech citing the Pope and the School of Salamanca

In a deliberately liberal and humanist tone, Mañueco invoked John Stuart Mill’s idea that a territory’s true value lies in its individuals. He celebrated the 500th anniversary of the School of Salamanca, calling it one of Castilla y León’s great contributions to universal knowledge. He also extensively quoted Pope Leo XIV’s recent address to the Spanish Congress, urging collaboration, dialogue and social concord in service of the common good.

“Desde esa vocación humanista, sitúo a las personas como objetivo de todos mis actos como presidente. A cada una de ellas.”

The ‘prioridad nacional’ omission

Conspicuously absent from the speech was any mention of the ‘prioridad nacional’ clause inserted by Vox into the government pact. The provision gives Spanish nationals priority over immigrants in access to subsidies and public services, and was accepted by other PP regional presidents in Extremadura and Aragón to secure Vox’s support. Mañueco instead stressed a politics “that does not generate noise or sterile confrontation; that converts management into results and words into real commitments.”

Dignitaries and family

Among those present were former prime minister Mariano Rajoy, the presidents of Galicia, Asturias, Extremadura, Aragón and Cantabria, and ex‑ministers Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría and Fátima Báñez. Mañueco’s wife Fina, daughters Ana and Loreto, and his parents‑in‑law also attended the ceremony.