The mayor of Arona, Fátima Lemes (PP), has today dismissed four councillors from the Más Por Arona political party who were part of her governing coalition due to what she describes as a “break in trust.” The popular party can continue to govern in the municipality alongside the Canarian Coalition, although they would need to bring Vox into the fold as well.
Hence, the new government will entail the inclusion of far-right councillors Naim Valerio Yánez and Melania Desiré Santos. Yet, PP, CC and Vox together hold only 12 out of the 25 seats in the city council, which means they would not achieve a majority.
“This decision arises from a loss of confidence and significant dissatisfaction with the execution of tasks assigned to the councillors responsible for these respective areas. It reflects an urgent need to redirect the course of this City Council, as we cannot afford to delay the transformation of Arona into the municipality we aspire to,” Lemes stated in an announcement.
“This restructuring of government positions will involve appointing new leaders, a decision that I will communicate shortly, along with a series of action plans for each area to be implemented throughout the remainder of the mandate,” the mayor remarked.
“I accepted the role of mayor in Arona to guide a complex team, dedicated to raising Arona to the standard of development and well-being that our residents deserve,” said Lemes in her statement, adding, “At this juncture of the mandate, these goals are yet to be realised. The effectiveness of a team in any domain, in my view, is predicated on mutual trust and productivity. Unfortunately, these conditions are presently lacking in several areas delegated to the council I oversee.”
“For me, the Mayor of Arona, there is no commitment other than hard work, complete dedication, and the courage to advance and advocate for the solutions needed to tackle the long-forgotten issues facing our municipality, just like the entire southern region of Tenerife,” the mayor emphasised.
This is not the first occurrence of the Canarian Coalition disregarding its red line of cooperating with Vox, as they previously did in the municipality of Teguise.
Arona is home to 87,000 residents and ranks as one of the key tourist municipalities within the Canary Islands. The ongoing interplay of economic and political interests has significantly influenced the governance of this town.
The development of the ARTS shopping centre (Artslife & Shopping), spearheaded by businessman Diego Cano, which has been halted due to allegations of an urban infraction, served as the catalyst for the municipal government fallout in 2021, during the PSOE’s absolute majority. The former mayor, José Julián Mena, removed the then Urban Planning Councillor, Luis García, citing “irregularities in the files” concerning this project. Months later, the party’s Federal Executive Committee expelled Mena for “acting against the party’s protocols.”
