Madrid’s regional president would prefer to govern alone if re-elected

Isabel Díaz Ayuso, Madrid’s regional conservative president, would prefer to govern alone if re-elected on 28 May, even though forming a coalition with the far-right VOX would benefit Spain’s future interests, Ayuso told EURACTIV’s partner EFE in an exclusive interview.

Díaz Ayuso of the conservative Popular Party (PP) is the favourite to win in the regional elections on 28 May, many polls show.

In case of re-election, the current president of the Madrid region insisted she would prefer to govern alone, without having to rely on VOX’s support, as this would allow the far-right party to block initiatives put forward by her party.

Personal relations between Díaz Ayuso and Rocío Monasterio, VOX’s leader in the regional parliament, have been particularly problematic, particularly as VOX has so far blocked all of PP’s initiatives.

Besides doing well in the polls, the conservatives and the far-right could also benefit from the internal division that currently plagues the Left camp.

While PP and VOX govern side-by-side in the Castilla and León region, the PP will try to avoid forming a coalition with the far-right party as it would be very difficult to govern alongside them, PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo recently said.

“Of course, I would always prefer this (the PP governing in regional executives, even if in some cases internal disputes arise) to the continuation of socialism (…), in autonomous regions and town councils”, she added.

All politicians aim to govern with an absolute majority, and “I wish they (PP regional leaders) could all” have his project, Díaz Ayuso stressed while noting that “making a pact with VOX is not the worst thing“.

In any case, Díaz Ayuso prefers not to be forced to forge a coalition with the controversial far-right party aligned with the same policies of Meloni, Orban or Le Pen, among other radical leaders.

VOX “criticises everything that the PP does” when it is the PP that could become the “real alternative” to the ruling left-wing coalition, Díaz Ayuso lamented.

“I aspire to have the same government as now, a government in freedom, where I can fulfil my commitments and not have to be a prisoner of headlines”, she added.

Regarding a potential PP win, Díaz Ayuso called for “humility” as “it’s not a done deal”.

It takes “a lot of work, knowing how to unite, knowing how to convince, not squinting, to have clear ideas,” Díaz Ayuso added.

Spain will hold regional and municipal elections on 28 May, with a general election expected to take place in December, during the country’s final month of presidency of the EU Council.

(María López and Esperanza Ronda | EFE)