PP candidate for Extremadura's regional presidency, María Guardiola, refused on Monday to specify what she means by not passing 'through Vox's hoop', amid a zigzagging relationship with the far right.
In Puebla de la Calzada, Badajoz, María Guardiola responded to questions on potential post-election pacts by stating she has always been 'very clear' about her limits, though she did not detail them. When asked if her commitment means not governing with Vox or avoiding speeches like Juanfran Pérez Llorca's in Valencia, she dodged, saying Extremadurans know her positions. She criticized Vox leader Santiago Abascal as a 'tourist' without commitment to the region and portrayed herself as a strong figure able to contradict him.
This stance continues a complex history since the 2023 elections, where PP tied with PSOE and Guardiola initially harshly rejected Vox, accusing it of disrespecting Extremadura. She offered a program with tax cuts and repeal of the memory law, but no government entry. Under pressure from PP's national leadership, she conceded and allowed Vox one ministry in Forest Management and Rural World. The initial counselor, María del Camino Liria, resigned in October 2023, and successor Ignacio Higuero stayed even after the 2024 coalition rupture, though he resigned months later for falsifying his CV.
Vox has been key for Assembly majorities, as in October's repeal of the memory law for a 'concord' one equating harms from both sides and including terrorism victims. Guardiola remains open to pacts without a 'cordon sanitaire', but her current limits stay imprecise, especially if she fails absolute majority in the December 21 elections.