Vox moves to reorganize the party before the elections

PalmaVox is trying to leave behind its "self-destruction pattern" (as defined by island councilor Maite Medrano) before the elections. Although the party usually postpones the preparation of electoral lists until the last moment, in recent weeks it has made some moves to stabilize the party internally. On one hand, the deputy in Congress and person in charge of the provincial executives for the whole State, María Ruiz, will be in Palma this Thursday to meet with elected officials. On the other hand, the party has appointed Sergio Rodríguez as the new head of Territorial Organization and, according to various sources, has reached out to former officials.

Thus, the meeting of elected officials with Madrid will be the first since the appointment of Rodríguez as part of the executive committee. The deputy, a former dissident who led together with Idoia Ribas an attempt to oust Gabriel Le Senne from the presidency of the Parliament, did not expect to receive the offer from Madrid to rejoin a portfolio linked to the organization of the ranks. Nevertheless, he accepted it: he had long since made peace with the parliamentary group and has moved closer to Le Senne, unlike other critics. In a statement, the party announced the appointment, expressing its interest in "facing the new political term with determination" before the next elections.

This step is part of Vox's efforts to reorganize its leadership in the face of critics, who have organized themselves into the Avanza en Libertad association in the case of Ribas and Buades, while the third non-attached member, Xisco Cardona, has moved closer to the PP. Rodríguez's rise also comes at a time of underlying tension between Le Senne and the parliamentary group spokesperson, Manuela Cañadas: they have been estranged for months.

After the breakdown of the group in January 2024, when Vox was on the verge of losing six deputies, the Madrid leadership has been recomposing the group, which maintains a core of five parliamentarians. According to various voices from the party's critical sector, Vox has also made offers to parliamentarians that the leadership itself expelled or invited to leave at the beginning of the legislature. "They are having trouble finding staff," asserts one of these voices. "I think they have learned something this legislature," asserts one of the critics: "If it were now, they would not have handled the parliamentary group crisis in the same way."

The party's outlook regarding the upcoming elections is favorable in the polls but delicate when it comes to the cohesion of its ranks. With the proclamation of the new electoral lists, a well-informed source claims, the internal war could resume. "In what position on the list will Cañadas go? This could be a problem," they point out: although the deputy is the current spokesperson, in 2023 she was number six on the list. "Will Montse Amat be the head of the list for the Council of Mallorca?" they ask, in relation to the current island councilor, who is close to Jorge Campos' sector.

In fact, with a view to the upcoming elections, Maria Ruiz has remarked that the priority now is the party's unity both at the state level and in the territorial delegations to start working and manage to "have many positions in the institutions" after the upcoming elections. "We understand that the Balearic Islands are a very important stronghold and, therefore, it is necessary to team up, unite, and put on the table all the strategies and measures that we must take to end the infamous policies of the Spanish government," she said.

However, the main obstacle for the party is the role of Le Senne. After having torn up a photograph of Aurora Picornell and the Roges del Molinar in 2024, in the middle of a parliamentary debate, he is now facing a trial for an alleged hate crime. The preliminary hearing for the trial is scheduled for next October 28th. The President of the Parliament is currently the leadership's main bet to lead the list for the regional elections. But a possible ruling that could lead to his disqualification would prevent this option.