Canary Islands PP Plans Generational Shift for Santa Cruz Mayoral Bid

The People’s Party (PP) in the Canary Islands is preparing for the 2027 elections by planning a generational shift in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Regional leaders have informed the party’s national headquarters of their intention to name Carmen Pérez as their mayoral candidate, a move that would replace Carlos Tarife, who has held key roles in the party for the past 20 years.

While this proposal still requires approval from the national electoral committee, it has the full support of Lope Afonso, the party’s president in Tenerife. The plan aims to manage an orderly transition, potentially moving Tarife to the Canary Islands Parliament to honor his long career while making room for new leadership.

Internal changes could begin as early as September. The party is considering a plan for Pérez to take over as first deputy mayor and spokesperson for the municipal group—roles currently held by Tarife—while she continues to lead the Development Society. Tarife would remain in charge of the Public Services department.

This reorganization reflects underlying tensions from the 2023 power-sharing agreement between the Canarian Coalition and the PP. At that time, Tarife oversaw the distribution of deputy mayoral roles, which left Pérez—a key figure in the party’s renewal strategy—out of the leadership hierarchy.

Although regional officials are officially downplaying the news, stating that it is too early to discuss 2027, the move is clearly intended to strengthen the party’s leadership in a strategic stronghold. The final decision now rests with the national headquarters in Madrid.