A political crisis is brewing in Seville as negotiations over the 2026 budget have come to a standstill. Talks between Mayor José Luis Sanz’s team and Vox representatives have hit a deadlock, even though most of the far-right party’s proposals have already been accepted. The standoff has been fueled not only by local disagreements but also by the looming elections in Extremadura, which have further increased pressure on both sides.
For Andalusia’s president Juanma Moreno, this situation could spell serious trouble. The latest polls suggest his party may lose its absolute majority in the regional parliament. If Seville fails to reach a compromise, similar challenges could emerge across the entire autonomous community.
Fault lines
Vox has adopted two hardline stances without which it refuses to support the budget. First is tightening control over the registration of migrants whom the party considers illegal. Second is the demand to abolish the low-emissions zone on La Cartuja island, introduced to combat air pollution. Although Sanz’s team has already agreed to 16 out of 18 Vox amendments, these two issues remain major sticking points.
The mayor of Seville tried to distance himself from ideological demands, emphasizing pragmatism. However, Vox insists: without concessions on key issues, they will not offer their support. Notably, similar scenarios have already played out in other cities—such as Valladolid and Valencia—where the far-right also pushed for the cancellation of environmental initiatives.
Low-emission zone
The introduction of a low-emission zone in La Cartuja became one of the main points of conflict. The system fines vehicles with high pollution levels, which, according to Vox, unfairly affects low-income residents who cannot afford environmentally friendly transport. The party proposes turning off surveillance cameras and only activating them when certain pollution levels are exceeded—something that almost never happens in practice.
This project is linked to the development of the Sevilla TechPark technology park, which employs tens of thousands of people. The initiative originally came from the previous Socialist mayor, but the current administration and the regional PP government have supported its continuation. Now Sanz finds himself caught between two fires: on one hand, his obligations to voters and business, and on the other, the demands of his coalition partner.
Migration Issue
The second front in this standoff is control over migrant registration. Vox claims that in some parts of the city, undocumented foreigners are being registered en masse, although the party offers no concrete data. This issue is especially sensitive for Sevilla: the city is seeking to boost its population to regain its status as Spain’s fourth-largest city, a title it recently lost to Zaragoza.
Tightening registration rules could slow down this process, but for Vox it is a matter of principle. The PP, in turn, fears losing the support of moderate voters if it yields to the far right.
Political maneuvers
When talks hit a stalemate, Sanz decided to postpone the budget vote to buy time and reduce the impact of outside factors, such as elections in Extremadura. However, Vox’s representative in Sevilla, Cristina Peláez, made it clear: the party is not willing to compromise unless its conditions are met.
Last year, the mayor already resorted to a vote of confidence procedure to pass the budget without Vox’s support. That option is on the table again, but for Moreno at the regional level, this path is not available. If negotiations collapse, the PP risks heading into the campaign with the image of a party unable to reach agreements even with potential partners.
