Castilla y León Pact
PP and Vox Finalize Government Agreement for Castilla y León After Weeks of Talks
PP and Vox have closed a coalition government deal for Castilla y León, ending weeks of hard negotiation. Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, of the PP, and Carlos Pollán, of Vox, are set to sign and present the agreement publicly at 12:00 PM on June 3 at the Cortes de Castilla y León in Valladolid, according to Servimedia.
The deal marks the second PP-Vox coalition in the region after their first joint government collapsed in July 2024. That rupture came when Vox pulled its vice presidents from five regional governments over immigration policy. Now, just two years later, both parties are back at the table — this time with a more structured agreement built on a national template.
From Collapse to New Pact in Under Two Years
The road to this deal started with a crisis. In July 2024, Vox leader Santiago Abascal ordered all Vox regional vice presidents to resign across five autonomies. The trigger was the PP's acceptance of quotas to distribute migrant minors — known as MENAs — across Spain's regions. The first Castilla y León coalition, formed in 2022, fell apart overnight.
Regional elections were held on March 15, 2026. The PP won 33 seats with 35.47% of the vote. Vox took 14 seats with 18.92%. Neither party could form a majority alone — the threshold is 42 seats in the 82-seat Cortes. Formal talks began on March 25, according to El País.
Pollán Steps Up as the Deal's Key Vox Figure
The face of Vox in these talks was Carlos Pollán, who previously served as President of the regional Cortes from 2022 to 2026. PP sources described him as a "very tough" but "more serene and normal" negotiator than his predecessor, Juan García-Gallardo, according to Heraldo de León.
Pollán is set to become Executive Vice President — a role with real management powers over the budget. Analysts say the PP is trying to make Vox responsible for actual results, not just ideology. Pollán said his party entered talks with "deadlines and guarantees of compliance." The PP, meanwhile, reclaimed the Cortes Presidency it had ceded to Vox in 2022.
'Prioridad Nacional' and Anti-Immigration Clauses Drive Policy Agenda
The agreement includes a "Prioridad Nacional" — National Priority — principle. This means public housing and social aid will favor Spanish citizens or those with longer legal residency records. The language mirrors deals already signed in Extremadura and Aragón, according to ABC. Vox also secured a pledge to not spend "a single euro more" on illegal immigration or NGOs managing migrant minor centers.
A new office for deregulation — a Consejería de Desregulación — is also expected. Its job would be to cut what Vox calls "ideological spending" and reduce administrative red tape. Vox is expected to control 2 to 3 regional ministries in total, likely including Agriculture and Culture, according to Diario de Castilla y León.
Opposition Calls the Pact 'The Most Retrograde in Decades'
The PSOE did not hold back. National spokesperson Patxi López called the deal "the most retrograde, most inhumane pact against equality in this country in decades." Regionalist parties like UPL and Soria ¡YA! also pushed back, arguing the future of Castilla y León was decided in Madrid offices — not in Valladolid — according to La Opinión de Málaga.
PP-aligned outlets framed the deal differently. They highlighted "200 concrete measures" focused on stability and protecting rural communities. National PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo confirmed on June 1 that the pact was "being finalized," signaling Madrid's direct involvement in shaping the final text, according to Diario de Mallorca.
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