Francisco Igea spent his final day in the chamber of the Castile and León parliament, where over the past decade he held roles as both vice president and, later, embattled opposition figure. His political career began in 2015 when he joined Ciudadanos and ended in 2023 with his expulsion from the same party. During that time, Igea became one of the region’s most prominent politicians, and his relationship with Alfonso Fernández Mañueco shifted from partnership to open confrontation.
A gastroenterologist by profession, Igea is returning to medical practice, putting behind him years marked by political intrigue, unexpected alliances, and disappointments. His attempt to alter the balance of power in the region collapsed when Albert Rivera insisted on a pact with the Partido Popular (PP), despite the Socialists’ victory in the 2019 elections. The forced alliance—which Igea himself described as a “marriage of convenience”—ended in a painful split when the PP opted for cooperation with Vox and Ciudadanos virtually disappeared from the regional political scene.
The rupture with Mañueco
After Mañueco distanced himself from Ciudadanos, Igea found himself alone, criticizing his former allies both inside and outside the party. His speeches in parliament were known for their sharpness and candor, and his farewell address resembled a scene from a cult film: “I’ve seen things you wouldn’t believe.” He recalled the political intrigue, misguided strategies, and his own role during the region’s management of the pandemic.
Igea did not hide that his support for the PP was a mistake for which he takes personal responsibility. He acknowledges that he could have gone against the will of the Ciudadanos leadership, but chose to preserve party unity—even at the cost of his own reputation. “Choosing between what is right and what is possible is always difficult,” he admitted to his colleagues as he bid farewell to parliament.
Political change
With Igea’s departure, an era comes to an end for Castilla y León. His career coincided with a time when the region, for the first time in decades, was on the verge of political transformation: in 2019, the Socialists led by Luis Tudanca won the election, but were unable to form a government without support from other parties. Igea, who at that time openly considered an alliance with PSOE, ultimately bowed to Rivera’s decision and remained in tandem with Mañueco.
This alliance did not last long. In December 2021, Mañueco unexpectedly informed Igea of the dissolution of parliament and the calling of new elections, which came as a serious blow to him. After this, Igea found himself in political isolation, and his influence in parliament sharply diminished.
The influence of Vox and new challenges
Since 2022, for the first time in history, the regional government of Castilla y León has been led by a coalition of the PP and Vox—a first-of-its-kind alliance between conservatives and the far right in Europe. The new vice-president, Juan García-Gallardo, quickly became known for his controversial statements and scandals, making the region’s politics even more polarized.
Yet even this alliance failed the test of time: in the summer of 2024, following the intervention of Vox’s national leader Santiago Abascal, the coalition fell apart. Mañueco remained in power, but now without the support of his partners, while Igea continued to voice criticism, though his presence in parliament grew steadily quieter.
A personal acknowledgment
In his farewell speech, Igea emphasized that he had always believed in his mission and urged the remaining deputies to reflect on their own motives. He chose not to wait for any parting words from Mañueco, noting that their relationship had long been reduced to public quarrels. “I know what I did, and I understand what it meant for many,” he said, closing this chapter of his political life.
With the departure of Francisco Igea, not only does his personal story come to an end, but so does an entire era in the political life of Castilla y León—one marked by difficult compromises, unexpected alliances, and a struggle for change.
