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| Spain’s People’s party and Vox agree to jointly govern Extremadura | Spain’s People’s party and Vox agree to jointly govern Extremadura |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| Deal in south-western region further raises prospect of national coalition between conservatives and far right | Deal in south-western region further raises prospect of national coalition between conservatives and far right |
| The prospect of a national coalition government between Spain’s conservative People’s party (PP) and its far-right Vox party has increased after the PP executed a dramatic ideological U-turn to cut another regional deal with Vox. | The prospect of a national coalition government between Spain’s conservative People’s party (PP) and its far-right Vox party has increased after the PP executed a dramatic ideological U-turn to cut another regional deal with Vox. |
| Although the opposition PP has attempted to portray itself as a moderate, centrist party in the hope of unseating the Socialist-led government of Pedro Sánchez, it has refused to rule out a coalition with Vox should it fall short of an absolute majority in a 23 July snap election. | Although the opposition PP has attempted to portray itself as a moderate, centrist party in the hope of unseating the Socialist-led government of Pedro Sánchez, it has refused to rule out a coalition with Vox should it fall short of an absolute majority in a 23 July snap election. |
| The conservatives – whose series of emphatic victories in last month’s regional and municipal polls led Sánchez to call an early general election – have already entered a coalition with Vox to rule the Valencia region. | The conservatives – whose series of emphatic victories in last month’s regional and municipal polls led Sánchez to call an early general election – have already entered a coalition with Vox to rule the Valencia region. |
| On Friday, the PP and Vox announced a new deal to jointly run the south-western region of Extremadura – just days after the PP’s leader there said she would never govern with the far-right party because of its denial of gender-based violence, its anti-immigrant stance, and its opposition to LGBTQ+ rights. | On Friday, the PP and Vox announced a new deal to jointly run the south-western region of Extremadura – just days after the PP’s leader there said she would never govern with the far-right party because of its denial of gender-based violence, its anti-immigrant stance, and its opposition to LGBTQ+ rights. |
| Earlier this week, Madrid’s electoral commission ordered Vox to remove a large banner from the capital that depicted a hand tossing symbols representing feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, Catalan independence, environmental programmes and communism into a bin. | Earlier this week, Madrid’s electoral commission ordered Vox to remove a large banner from the capital that depicted a hand tossing symbols representing feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, Catalan independence, environmental programmes and communism into a bin. |
| “I can’t allow those who deny gender-based violence … those who are dehumanising immigrants and those who unfurl a banner chucking the LGBTI flag into the bin into government,” María Guardiola, the PP’s leader in Extremadura, said last week. She also insisted she would be prepared to stand in a repeat of the regional elections rather than countenance any deals with Vox. | “I can’t allow those who deny gender-based violence … those who are dehumanising immigrants and those who unfurl a banner chucking the LGBTI flag into the bin into government,” María Guardiola, the PP’s leader in Extremadura, said last week. She also insisted she would be prepared to stand in a repeat of the regional elections rather than countenance any deals with Vox. |
| But over the following days – under apparent pressure from the party leadership – she began to waver. On Friday morning, the PP and Vox announced a coalition government agreement in Extremadura under which Guardiola would be regional president and Vox would run the ministry of rural affairs. | But over the following days – under apparent pressure from the party leadership – she began to waver. On Friday morning, the PP and Vox announced a coalition government agreement in Extremadura under which Guardiola would be regional president and Vox would run the ministry of rural affairs. |
| The PP hailed the agreement as a “triumph of dialogue” and described Guardiola as a woman “of principles and convictions”. Vox said it was pleased to see “sense prevailing”. | The PP hailed the agreement as a “triumph of dialogue” and described Guardiola as a woman “of principles and convictions”. Vox said it was pleased to see “sense prevailing”. |
| But Pilar Alegría, who serves as education minister and spokesperson for Sánchez’s Spanish Socialist Workers party, criticised the PP for its hypocrisy. | But Pilar Alegría, who serves as education minister and spokesperson for Sánchez’s Spanish Socialist Workers party, criticised the PP for its hypocrisy. |
| “The PP is a Marxist party – a Groucho Marxist party,” she said in a tweet quoting the American comedian’s famous line: “Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them … well I have others.” | |
| Sánchez recently warned that the PP, which is leading the polls, was becoming too beholden to Vox and its ideologies. | Sánchez recently warned that the PP, which is leading the polls, was becoming too beholden to Vox and its ideologies. |
| “There’s something that’s far more dangerous than Vox, and that’s having a PP that assumes the policies and postures of Vox,” he told El País. “And that’s what we’re seeing: a denialism when it comes to social, political and scientific consensus.” | “There’s something that’s far more dangerous than Vox, and that’s having a PP that assumes the policies and postures of Vox,” he told El País. “And that’s what we’re seeing: a denialism when it comes to social, political and scientific consensus.” |