Southern Mayoralties Split Evenly as PP Takes Arico
The Popular Party's upcoming mayoral win in Arico will establish an unprecedented equal distribution of power, with PSOE, CC, and PP each holding four mayoralties across southern municipalities, largely due to post-election agreements and no-confidence motions.
With the Popular Party (PP) expected to take over the mayor's office in Arico, likely on the 22nd of this month, the mayoral positions in the southern municipalities will be evenly split among the three main political parties. This change follows an agreement made between the PP and the Socialist Party (PSOE) after the 2023 elections.
This new setup is a first for the region. Historically, the PSOE has held the most power, followed by Coalición Canaria (CC), with the PP trailing far behind.
Once Andrés Martín of the PP replaces the socialist Olivia Delgado as mayor of Arico, the balance of power will be equal across the region's 12 municipalities. The PSOE, CC, and PP will each hold four mayoralties.
The Socialist Party currently governs with a clear majority in Adeje (its strong base in the South), Candelaria, Fasnia, and Vilaflor de Chasna.
Coalición Canaria leads the town councils of San Miguel and Arafo (both with clear majorities). They also govern Granadilla, thanks to an agreement with the PP and Vox, and Guía de Isora, in alliance with the PP. However, in Guía de Isora, they are now technically tied with the opposition after one CC councilor left the local government.
The Popular Party, which until recently had very little power in the South, now leads the municipal councils of Santiago del Teide (where it has consistently won clear majorities since 2015), Arona (with an agreement with CC and Vox), and Güímar (with support from Nueva Canarias and two former socialist councilors). In a few days, they will also lead Arico, in a governing coalition with the PSOE.
The agreements made after the 2023 elections, along with motions of no confidence, have hurt the PSOE, even though it remains the party with the most votes overall. It's important to note that the socialists won the most votes in eight of the twelve towns. This includes Arona, Guía de Isora, Arico, and Granadilla de Abona, where they do not govern, in addition to the four municipalities where they secured a comfortable majority.
However, alliances between CC, PP, and Vox, formed through post-election deals or no-confidence votes, have prevented progressive governments from forming in municipalities where alliances were necessary. This happened even when the PSOE was very close to an absolute majority, such as in Guía de Isora.
The era when the PSOE dominated much of the South, and Coalición Canaria enjoyed its peak with up to four clear majorities, is now over. In contrast, the Popular Party has disrupted the traditional rivalry between socialists and nationalists. They have achieved this by improving their election results and, more importantly, by effectively using post-election pacts and motions of no confidence, partnering first with Coalición Canaria (their natural ally) and then with Vox.