Antonio Marín, councillor for VOX in Manilva, has stated that “VOX is facilitating PP governance in Manilva” but will remain in opposition, “refusing to take part in the governing team” and ensuring that they will be “guarantors of good practice and will carry out continuous oversight”
The municipality of Manilva, located at the western end of the province of Málaga, has a political history of left-wing governments: the Communist Party, the Socialist Party, Izquierda Unida and, most recently, Compromiso Manilva, a splinter group of Izquierda Unida.
Looking at the trend in the outstanding debt of Manilva Town Hall, according to figures from the Ministry of Finance and Civil Service, it has been progressively reduced since 2012, from a total of 6,196,000€ to 857,000€ at the end of 2020. However, in 2022, under the Compromiso Manilva government, the municipality’s debt increased by 1,992.07%, with the registered debt reaching almost 18 million euros.
To better understand this increase in debt, VOX councillor-elect Antonio Marín explained that “if in 2020 every resident of Manilva had paid 52€, that debt could have been cleared, but since 2022, the amount each resident of Manilva would have to pay to settle their town hall’s debt has risen to 1,064€”. These figures bear no relation to those of neighbouring municipalities and, even at provincial level, Marín points out, “the exact opposite has been achieved to what the Manilva government has done: the province’s debt has been reduced by 63%”.
With these figures, according to Antonio Marín, it is clear that “the Town Hall of this municipality on the Costa del Sol has ceased to be at the service of the residents of Manilva” and has become, he continued, “the administration that squeezes its citizens”.
In view of this reality, and on the occasion of yesterday’s constitutive council meeting of Manilva Town Hall, held in line with the results of the elections of 28 May, VOX has reached an investiture agreement with the Partido Popular. In this regard, Antonio Marín states that, in addition, “given the legal situation in which some leaders of Compromiso Manilva are involved and, until the courts rule on the matter, we do not consider it reasonable or appropriate to facilitate government by this political party”.
On the other hand, Marín stated that, from VOX’s side, “we are unaware of the details of the agreement reached by the Partido Popular with Izquierda Unida”, and stressed that “VOX has not agreed anything or held any conversation whatsoever with Izquierda Unida”.
The councillor stated: “VOX has not agreed to any governing pact; in fact, VOX has not accepted taking part in the governing team”. Thus, “VOX remains in opposition, as guarantor of good practice, carrying out continuous oversight”. He added that he understands that “for the sake of political hygiene and transparency, this has been the best possible agreement”.
Regarding the details of the agreement with the Partido Popular, Antonio Marín clarified that the PP, after forming a government, undertakes to
- Carry out an audit of the municipal accounts by an external firm” (Measure No. 1 of the VOX Manilva Programme),
- Allocate greater funding and staffing to the Local Police, with the aim of increasing security and working against illegal squatting” (Measure No. 2
of the VOX Manilva Programme) - “reduce to the minimum permitted by law the fee for the use of public thoroughfares by hospitality businesses and local shops” (Measure No. 3 of the VOX Manilva Programme).
On the work VOX will carry out from the opposition over the next four years, Antonio Marín stated that “VOX will only allow through those proposals that are beneficial for Manilva, comply with the law, are necessary and economically viable, and are in line with VOX’s principles”. He also stressed that “these proposals will be supported by VOX wherever they come from”.
Conversely, the VOX representative in Manilva explained that “VOX will not support those proposals that do not clearly benefit Manilva, do not comply with the law, are not necessary or are not economically viable, wherever they come from”.
