By Alvaro Morales/Rodrigo Padilla. | Discussions among high-ranking officials to revisit the censorship of Puerto de la Cruz in various municipalities of Tenerife have been ongoing for several months and show no signs of ceasing. The extent of these actions, of course, hinges on the involvement of certain councillors, as the power to decide always rests with them. However, DIARIO DE AVISOS is prepared to assert that, at least concerning Granadilla, two significant factions aimed at unseating the socialist Jennifer Miranda from the Mayor’s Office have reached an accord (if only verbally or in principle).
Sources from both factions have confirmed this development. Thus, to achieve the necessary total of 13 councillors (indicating an absolute majority), the support of just one of the two PP councillors is required, while CC holds 10 and VOX has 2 (José Sanabria González and Adaisy Arias Pérez).
The two Granadilla PP representatives, Marco Antonio Rodríguez and Bianca Cerbán, currently serve in the government alongside the PSOE after tipping the balance during the inauguration of the present administration in June 2023. On that Saturday, given their strained relationship with the then-mayor from CC, Domingo Regalado, and other party members, they chose to strike a deal with the socialists, surprising many (particularly those outside the locality), despite having worked on this arrangement for an extended period. This agreement complicated the regional and island strategy of the PP, particularly in the aftermath of the May elections that year, leading to co-governance between CC and PSOE in Fuerteventura’s Cabildo (thus excluding the PP led by Fernando Enseñat). Furthermore, their failure to comply with the mandate to reinstall Regalado as mayor triggered an immediate expulsion process from the conservative leadership in the Islands.
Nevertheless, various PP insiders acknowledge that these proceedings are still active, “but in a certain manner”, as they can be readily reversed should they lead to a government shift unfavourable to the PSOE. In light of the CC-VOX arrangement, it would take merely one PP councillor to initiate a motion of censure for a candidate to emerge, according to information acquired by this newspaper.
As witnessed in Arico and Güímar, other prospective locations where the PP and CC (at the highest levels) are exploring possible motions of censure, everything hinges on the councillors. However, efforts, calls, proposals, and even pressure persist. DIARIO DE AVISOS understands, based on consulted sources, that one of the two PP councillors in Granadilla remains completely committed to the agreement with the PSOE and supports the mayor, yet uncertainties surround the other councillor (without specifying whether it is Rodríguez or Cerbán). The crucial factor is whether the island, regional, and even national leaderships can persuade this other councillor.
In the meantime, the coalition between CC and VOX suggests that the specific instance in Teguise during June 2023 was not accidental. In this northern Lanzarote municipality, the nationalists maintained the Mayor’s position a year prior, previously held by the current president of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Bethencourt, due to the backing of the sole VOX councillor (Ginés González), who joined the administration. Subsequently, this councillor departed from his party but retained his position, local responsibilities, and likely his far-right ideologies, which have never posed a concern for CC.
WHAT CLAVIJO SAID ABOUT VOX AND PODEMOS
Historically, Fernando Clavijo and other CC leaders have consistently insisted that they would never form a coalition with “the extremes, with VOX and Podemos”, particularly due to the far-right’s centralist perspective on State governance. However, in light of the events in Teguise and now with the potential for a censure agreement against a PSOE mayor in Granadilla, the situation appears to be recontextualised: it essentially depends on what concessions can be negotiated in return.
What remains undisclosed is whether VOX would solely back the censure and specific points in the interim to facilitate governance, at least on general matters (such as budgets), or if it desires to engage in co-governance, a scenario that, according to sources, its councillors are advocating for.
