The PP colours the majority of municipalities in the region blue: among them, Móstoles, Leganés and Alcalá
After the municipal and regional elections held on Sunday 28 May, the PP of Madrid has managed to consolidate its victory in its strongholds in the region, such as Boadilla del Monte, Torrejón de Ardoz and Pozuelo de Alarcón, and has snatched from the PSOE large southern seats such as Móstoles and Alcorcón, although it will depend on post-electoral pacts to govern.
These are the first elections in which the regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has had a free hand in drawing up her lists, in which renewal has prevailed. Most of the candidacies have been headed by new faces, with hardly any familiarity among citizens, which is why they have had to step on the accelerator in the last few months.
The aim was to replicate Ayuso’s 4M election results in the municipalities and, to this end, the Madrid leader has thrown herself into the campaign. Her candidates against “Sánchez’s candidates”, was the maxim with which the Madrid leader has contrasted models.
Móstoles, Rivas and Alcorcón dyed in blue
Thus, in the municipalities known as the red belt, the ‘populares’ have managed to snatch from the PSOE the second city with the largest number of inhabitants, Móstoles. The president visited this town, which has been singled out by the cases of alleged corruption involving the mayoress, Noelia Posse, during the election campaign, and in each of her events in the south she has made nods to the candidate Manuel Bautista.
The surprise came in Rivas Vaciamadrid, a municipality of Izquierda Unida, where left-wing parties have governed for more than 40 years. The PP candidate, Janette Novo, has managed to win for the first time in history in a municipal election, although a foreseeable left-wing alliance will prevent her from winning the baton of power.
They have also won in Alcorcón with Antonio González Terol at the head. This leader, close to former PP president Pablo Casado until the last moment, was designated by Ayuso to head the candidacy for mayor, something that some interpreted as a punishment. He, for his part, defended that it was “a challenge” and undertook a campaign morning, noon and night throughout the municipality. He even went door to door telling his project to the neighbours.
Municipalities where pacts will be decisive
Likewise, the ‘populares’ have achieved victory in Leganés with Miguel Ángel Recuenco, although governability is very tight and will be decided by the independent party ULEG. The post-electoral pacts will also decide Pinto, Coslada and Ana Millán’s Arroyomolinos, where the PP has managed to become the first force.
In Arganda del Rey, the ‘popular’ Alberto Escribano, a personal bet of the Madrid leader, has beaten the historic leader of the PSOE Guillermo Hita, current president of the Madrid Federation of Municipalities (FMM). They have tied on the number of councillors (11) but Vox will be decisive in the formation of the government.
Another of the key cities, where the PP has been very active in the campaign, with two events by Ayuso and a visit by former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, was Alcalá de Henares. The popularity of the mayor, Javier Rodríguez Palacios, has not been enough to govern. Both formations have tied on 11 councillors but the three of Vox against the two of Más Madrid will foreseeably make Judith Piquet mayoress.
Absolute majorities for the PP
Finally, in its main strongholds in the region, the PP has managed to recover Alcobendas and San Sebastián de los Reyes, which it lost in 2019 due to the entry of Ciudadanos, as well as achieving absolute majorities in Tres Cantos, Boadilla del Monte, Majadahonda, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Las Rozas and Torrejón. They are also close to this majority in Paracuellos de Jarama, a municipality where the ‘orange’ party won in 2019, and in Torrelodones, where a group of voters governed.
With these electoral results, the president of Madrid achieved a resounding double victory: an absolute victory and a blue-tinged victory in a large part of the region’s municipalities. She now has many more municipalities of her own colour and the city councils are now dominated by people she trusts.
Municipalities where the PSOE has won
In this area of the Community of Madrid, the PP has not managed to take away from the PSOE some of its main strongholds such as Fuenlabrada – where the Socialist Javier Ayala has obtained an absolute majority – Getafe, Mejorada del Campo, Parla, San Fernando de Henares – a municipality affected by the works on Line 7B of the Metro – and San Martín de la Vega.
