The Junta de Andalucía’s reshuffle has created an executive with three vice presidents, adding two posts to the structure led by President Juan Manuel Moreno of the People’s Party (PP). The coalition agreement with Vox, concluded in early July after the May regional elections, created the first regional government coalition between the two parties. Vox’s parliamentary leader, Manuel Gavira, became second vice-president, overseeing tourism and local administration as well as deregulation and justice.
The expanded vice-presidential structure reflects the balance of power in the new cabinet and the PP’s need to secure Vox’s support for government stability and parliamentary votes. The arrangement also keeps Gavira from becoming acting president, in line with the government’s stated approach to the line of succession. Moreno’s effort to manage internal balances recalls earlier periods of party succession debate, including the long tenure of former Andalusian president Manuel Chaves.
Antonio Sanz, who oversees health, the presidency and emergencies, and Carolina España, the government spokesperson and minister for economy and finance, had been discussed as possible candidates for the two additional vice presidencies. Both are regarded as trusted PP figures; Moreno has described Sanz as exceptionally reliable and hardworking. The appointments form part of a broader reshaping of government roles, while negotiations over influential institutional posts have also accompanied the coalition deal.
Those negotiations extended beyond the cabinet to the Andalusian Parliament’s governing board and other bodies. On 23 July, Ana Mestre was elected parliament president with 65 votes, ten above the chamber’s absolute-majority threshold of 55. Vox’s Cristina Peláez took the first vice-presidency of the parliamentary bureau. The institutional changes also included the designation of Jesús Aguirre as an autonomous-community senator. Earlier, the PP had held five of the seven places on the board, while the PSOE held the second vice-presidency and second secretaryship.
The agreement’s 150th measure sets out a joint-voting commitment for PP and Vox representatives in plenary sessions, committees and other collegiate bodies on matters covered by the pact. It covers votes affecting government stability, including budgets and legislative proposals, as well as opposition requests for investigative or study commissions. The commitment links Vox’s cabinet representation to formal parliamentary support for the government’s programme.
Vox spokesperson Javier Cortés said the agreement “makes national priority a reality,” calling for Andalusians to be prioritized in access to housing and social assistance. The pact also addresses immigration and deregulation, and sets out terms for allocating public funds. The PP has backed a Vox initiative concerning immigration and the housing crisis, while Cortés has demanded that no public money go to unions organizing a general strike scheduled for 11 November.
Vox’s entry into government has sharpened debate over the distribution of power and the Junta’s future direction. Gavira has rejected the suggestion that the new structure is intended to counterbalance Vox. Talks have also covered appointments to the RTVA board and the Consultative Council, as well as the Audit Chamber and the Ombudsman’s office. They have included leadership roles at Canal Sur and within the Junta’s communications apparatus. Both parties have kept the details of those negotiations confidential. Vox had previously advocated abolishing some of these bodies after its first major parliamentary breakthrough in 2018.
The opposition has criticized the coalition agreement, including a provision to establish a service to verify residency and eligibility for social benefits. In the previous legislature, the appointment of a new Ombudsman stalled after Vox rejected the PP’s nominee, citing the candidate’s association with the Red Cross and its work supporting migrants. The current agreement includes a pledge to end subsidies for non-governmental organizations that Vox considers to help illegal immigration. Decisions of this kind require a three-fifths majority in the 109-seat chamber, making negotiation across party lines necessary.
The coalition deal marks a shift from the moderate image Moreno has cultivated during more than seven years in office. PP officials have presented the changes as part of normal political practice, while the agreement’s implementation now depends on coordinated action in government and Parliament. Reporting in October described a sharp reduction in public confrontations between Moreno and Gavira, which had characterized their relationship earlier in the year. The two parties have increasingly defended shared government positions.
The arrangement reflects wider changes in Spanish regional politics, where coalition agreements and the entry of newer political forces are reshaping traditional power structures. Similar internal maneuvering has been evident in Valencia, where party leadership contests have intensified alongside coalition negotiations. For more on PP tensions in the region, see this analysis of leadership challenges within the PP in Valencia.
