Politics
Vox votes against PP's Juanma Moreno in first investiture vote in the Andalusian parliamentThe hard-right group has demonstrated authority and strength, as a coalition deal between the party and Moreno’s PP moves closer
Añádenos en Google Leader of the Andalusian branch of the Vox party Manuel Gavira speaking to incumbent president of the Andalusian regional government Juanma Moreno. (EFE/José Manuel Vidal)Héctor Barbotta
01/07/2026 Actualizado a las 12:43h.Vox voted against incumbent president of the Andalusian regional government (Junta) Juanma Moreno in the first round of the investiture vote on Tuesday, but the debate made one thing clear: the two parties appear close to reaching a coalition agreement.
The investiture vote, with which Moreno aims to continue as president of the Junta de Andalucía, comes after the regional election in May.
Moreno's PP party failed to secure an outright majority in the first ballot, yet the tone of the exchanges between Moreno and Vox Andalusian parliamentary leader Manuel Gavira suggested both sides expect to strike a deal before the decisive second vote on Thursday.
Moreno won the backing of the PP's 53 regional MPs, while 56 members voted against him, including representatives from the PSOE socialist party, Adelante Andalucía, Por Andalucía and Vox. If Moreno secures enough support in Thursday's second vote to win re-election as president of the Junta, it will confirm that the PP and Vox have reached an agreement.
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the election result had made such a deal unavoidable.
The regional election left the PP just two seats short of an absolute majority, forcing Moreno to seek Vox's support. Within the Andalusian PP, leaders now appear to accept not only that Vox could enter the regional government, but also that they may have to incorporate some of the party's priorities into their governing programme, including its controversial principle of "national priority".
The PP, however, interprets that concept differently. Rather than adopting Vox's more exclusionary approach, party officials argue that Andalucía already gives priority to people with established residence in the region, since most regional welfare benefits require a minimum period of legal residence. They believe this interpretation narrows the gap between the two parties and makes an agreement easier.
Much of Gavira's speech focused on national rather than regional politics. He called for sweeping deregulation, fewer bureaucratic obstacles and cuts to unnecessary public spending within the Andalusian regional government. Those proposals look set to become a key part of the coalition negotiations.
Other PP-Vox regional governments, including those previously formed in Castilla y León, Aragon and Extremadura, handed Vox responsibility. In Andalucía, attention has turned to the regional government's simplification department, which could become part of any future agreement.
Focus on national politics
Although the debate centred on Moreno's investiture as regional president, Gavira devoted much of his speech to national politics. Vox, which advocates abolishing Spain's system of regions and has no separate Andalusian party structure, argued that a coalition in Andalucía would form part of a broader strategy to remove Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez from office.
According to Gavira, the next Junta de Andalucía should become a stronghold of what he called "common sense" against what he repeatedly described as the central government's "mafia". He argued that Vox's insistence on a detailed agreement with clear deadlines and guarantees would demonstrate that an alternative to Sánchez's government is possible.
Moreno acknowledged that the election had not produced the result he had hoped for and accepted that the political landscape now required genuine and pragmatic dialogue. He thanked Vox for adopting a more flexible approach during the negotiations and helping move the talks forward.
The PP leader also highlighted two issues that rank among Vox's main priorities: support for farmers and immigration. Moreno defended giving preference to European agricultural products through so-called mirror clauses on imports and criticised the central government's policy of redistributing unaccompanied migrant children across Spain, describing it as unfair to Andalucía.
48 hours to reach a deal
Parliament will now wait 48 hours before holding the second investiture vote on Thursday. Both Moreno and Gavira have told reporters that negotiations are progressing well and that their teams are intensively working on the final details.
Tuesday's proceedings suggested that Vox's "no" vote reflected a political strategy designed to demonstrate its bargaining strength rather than any genuine intention to block Moreno's investiture.
Throughout the debate, both parties largely avoided reopening old disputes and instead focused on securing an agreement that, by their own account, they hope to finalise before Thursday so Andalucía can begin the new parliamentary term with a fully functioning government.