Jesús Aguirre re-elected president of Andalusia's parliament as PP courts Vox support

Constitution of the XIII legislature

The constituent session of the Andalusian parliament's XIII legislature began shortly after noon on Thursday, relocated from the old chapel of the Hospital de las Cinco Llagas due to renovation work. The session opened with the formation of the Age Bureau, presided over by Jesús Aguirre as the oldest deputy (70 years old), alongside the two youngest members: Javier Montes (26) and Luis Rodrigo (27), both from Adelante Andalucía.

A minute of silence was observed for the latest victim of gender violence in the province of Málaga and for José Carlos Gómez Villamandos, the former university councillor who recently died. A white rose was placed on Villamandos's empty seat throughout the session, echoing a gesture made at the last Council of Government meeting.

The vote

Only two candidates were put forward for the presidency: Jesús Aguirre for the Popular Party and Begoña Iza for Adelante Andalucía. The PSOE, Vox, and Por Andalucía did not nominate anyone. In the first round, Aguirre received 53 votes (the PP's total seat count from the 17 May election), Iza obtained 8 votes, and 48 abstentions were recorded. Falling short of an absolute majority, a second vote was held with the same result, and Aguirre was proclaimed president by simple majority.

Aguirre ha sido elegido en segunda votación con los mismos apoyos.

A bridge to Vox

Aguirre's re-election is widely interpreted as a gesture toward Vox, with whom the PP is negotiating a possible government agreement. As health councillor during Juanma Moreno's first term, Aguirre was instrumental in smoothing relations with Santiago Abascal's party, which supported the PP-Ciudadanos coalition from the outside without entering government.

La elección de Aguirre para que siga siendo presidente es un guiño a Vox, una búsqueda de entendimiento.

In 2019, Aguirre incorporated the General Directorate of Families into his department, one of Vox's key demands at the time. Patricia del Pozo, who played a central role in the earlier negotiations with Ciudadanos, had also been widely tipped for the post, but Juanma Moreno opted for continuity and the conciliatory profile Aguirre offers.

Aguirre's record

Aguirre, a doctor from Córdoba, served as health councillor before assuming the parliament presidency four years ago. During the previous legislature, he faced opposition criticism, most notably for refusing to allow a general debate on healthcare following the cancer screening crisis. His reappointment signals Moreno's preference for a steady hand as the PP seeks to secure Vox's parliamentary backing for the new term.