Moreno fails first investiture vote, left at Vox's mercy

Juanma Moreno fails first investiture vote in Andalusia

Juanma Moreno, the PP (People's Party) candidate for President of the Junta of Andalusia, lost the first vote of the investiture debate on Tuesday. Vox, his potential partner, withheld its support, arguing that his offer "is not sufficient", though it acknowledged his "willingness to reach an agreement". Moreno, in a gesture that revealed his limited room for manoeuvre, described Vox as "the only ones who have offered to dialogue" and vowed to keep negotiating "until the end". The second vote is scheduled in 48 hours.

Moreno's dilemma: give in to Vox or call fresh elections

The Andalusian PP has governed in a minority since it brought the elections forward, calculating that it could do away with its crutch, Vox. The gamble has backfired: without Vox it lacks a majority, and the PSOE (Socialist Party) has no intention of supporting him. Moreno insists that the "only possible option" is a deal with Abascal's party. But Vox gives nothing away and is demanding conditions the PP is reluctant to accept. Meanwhile, the PSOE watches the scene with irony, and the left accuses the PP of inheriting the very practices it criticised in the previous government.

Under these circumstances, a repeat election in Andalusia looks like a likely scenario if the negotiations fail. However, Moreno himself faces the risk that a new election would further strengthen Vox, which appears as the only party with blocking power. The decision hangs in the balance: either the PP bows to Vox's demands, or Andalusians return to the polls with a more fraught landscape than ever.