The outcomes for Nueva Canarias (NC) in the European elections, where they ran in alliance with the leftist coalition Sumar, have not helped calm the waters in the party led by Román Rodríguez. On the contrary: NC was outperformed by Coalición Canaria (CC) in all the islands, despite the fact that Fernando Clavijo‘s party obtained a rather modest result due to the vote polarization towards PSOE and PP. The canaristas lost the particular battle for the nationalist vote even in their Gran Canaria stronghold, where in previous elections they had almost ruled over CC with an iron fist. In this new scenario, the Mayor of Gáldar, Teodoro Sosa –one of the key figures expected to lead the future NC–, stepped forward on Monday to promote the renewal of the political force and the resignation of who has led the party since its foundation in 2005, the same Román Rodríguez. And he was not alone. His counterpart in Agüimes, Óscar Hernández, followed suit to urge a change in the leadership of NC that resonates louder than ever after being overtaken in the European elections by a declining CC.
Sosa found the opportunity to take a swipe at the NC leadership in the resignation of Yolanda Díaz. The Minister of Labor and Social Economy announced on Monday her resignation from all the organic positions she held in Sumar after the poor results of the left-wing coalition in the European elections. In a message on the social network X –formerly Twitter–, the Mayor of Gáldar expressed himself clearly to praise Yolanda Díaz’s decision and, at the same time, hinted at a criticism with a recipient so obvious that it did not require clarification: «I just heard about Yolanda Díaz’s resignation due to Sumar’s poor electoral results. I wish the same example would spread to all organizations».
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Teodoro Sosa’s blow, who is not just anyone in the NC roster, quickly gained support from another of the most illustrious representatives of the canaristas, the mentioned Óscar Hernández. Also using the platform of X-Twitter, the municipal mayor of Agüimes publicly endorsed his party colleague from Gáldar and urged to “prioritize collective interest above any personalism”. «Taking responsibility, stepping aside so the project can move forward, paving the way for renewal, prioritizing collective interest over any personalism… Intelligence, generosity, commitment, and honesty. Yes, @teososam [Sosa’s account name on the Twitter network], I hope the example spreads», wrote Hernández.
The minor setback suffered in Gran Canaria on Sunday –Coalición outpaced Sumar-NC by 2,454 votes, with 15,790 against 13,336– couldn’t even be mitigated with any positive data in the rest of the Archipelago. The canaristas lost the battle for the nationalist vote in their major island bastion. They lost inLanzarote saw a decrease of 1,892 supporters compared to CC; they lost in Fuerteventura, with 1,930 fewer votes than the Coalition; they were defeated in the province of Las Palmas; and they also lost in the area of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and its four islands – Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro – where they garnered a total of 34,749 fewer votes than those of Fernando Clavijo.
‘Spain’s Most Voted Councillor’ Bears the Brunt
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The group critical of the leadership of Nueva Canarias (NC) is led by several of the most prominent mayors the party has in Gran Canaria. In an organization that originated on the round island and has garnered most votes in elections of all kinds, no critical group could wield influence without first having it in the specific Gran Canaria organigram.
The strong demand for an internally radical renewal led to the formation of a negotiating table between continuists and reformers weeks before the European elections on Sunday. Both sides shared or used to share the need for the party’s regeneration to move forward with consensus, or at least the appearance of consensus, to prevent, as far as possible, damage to the image and reputation of the party.
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It remains to be seen whether in the continuist sector, the same one embodied by Román Rodríguez and Carmelo Ramírez since NC’s very foundation in 2005, they are willing to step aside. This is where the doubts of the renewing faction lie, featuring Francisco Atta, mayor of Valsequillo; Óscar Hernández, mayor of Agüimes; or Teodoro Sosa, mayor of Gáldar, who on Monday initiated the start of a change they consider imperative following the poor results of the European elections, where a CC with little to celebrate was able to outperform them in the battle for the nationalist vote in both provinces and the seven islands.
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The epitome of discontent in NC is precisely in Gáldar. In the local elections of May last year, Sosa’s candidacy secured 19 out of the 21 councillors up for election. It consolidated up to 79% of the votes. An almost omnipotent support that has nothing to do with what happened on Sunday. It is true that European elections are not local elections, but it is equally hard to overlook the inconsistency that in the municipality of the most voted councillor in Spain, a title that Sosa acquired after the 2023 elections, there has been a drastic drop from the 11,245 votes then to the meagre 393 that the alliance with Sumar garnered this Sunday.
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