The leadership of Vox is keeping Javier Ortega Smith in its parliamentary group in the Congress one month after his expulsion from the party. However, his activity as a deputy has been drastically reduced to mere participation in votes.
Since last January, there have been no recorded interventions by him in plenary or committee sessions, and since February, he has not registered any parliamentary initiative. His presence in the Chamber is limited to exercising his right to vote in plenary sessions.
The Vox Guarantees Committee announced in March the expulsion of Ortega Smith for allegedly committing a “very serious infraction” by thwarting his replacement as the party's spokesperson in the City Council of Madrid. The decision led to the suspension of his party membership for disobedience.
The former Secretary General of Vox insisted on maintaining his position as municipal spokesperson until May 2027, arguing it was “legitimate.” He filed an appeal against the expulsion, which was rejected on April 16, making his departure from the party official.
Despite his expulsion from the party, Ortega Smith has continued to serve as the spokesperson for Vox in the City Council of Madrid because he controls the majority of the municipal group. He has warned that his situation will not change until the courts resolve the lawsuit he filed against the leadership for alleged violation of his fundamental rights.
In the Congress, the parliamentary leadership headed by Pepa Millán has kept him in their ranks one month after his expulsion. According to the spokesperson, the internal process continues and its outcome “is very predictable,” implying that Ortega Smith will end up in the Mixed Group once the procedure is resolved.
Millán specified that there is “an administrative procedure as in all parties,” regulated by the statutes, and that Vox will respond “according to the statutes and as provided for by regulations” as events unfold.
Before the formal expulsion, Vox had already been stripping Ortega Smith of responsibilities. The former Secretary General and Vice President became a member of the Executive in January 2024 and was removed from the leadership in December. In the Congress, he ceased to be deputy spokesperson in November and was removed from the Permanent Deputation.
He also lost the spokesperson roles for the Interior and Justice committees, being relegated to a member of the Budget Committee. His seat was moved from the vicinity of Santiago Abascal to the 'chicken coop' of the hemicycle.
His last intervention in the Congress occurred on January 27, when he spoke in the Permanent Deputation to defend Vox's position regarding the requests for appearance by President Pedro Sánchez and various ministers.
The last initiative he registered was on February 24: a written question to the Government about the increase in immigrants with residency permits due to roots since 2020.
Ortega Smith continues to receive the basic constitutional allowance of 3,366.99 euros per month plus the 1,032.38 euro indemnity paid to elected deputies from Madrid to cover their parliamentary activity.
If sent to the Mixed Group, Ortega Smith will face hostility from its members, who intend to treat him as they did former socialist minister José Luis Ábalos: without granting him speaking time, without a quota to present initiatives, or space in parliamentary committees.
The Mixed Group is currently composed of eight deputies from five formations: four from Podemos, one from the Bloque Nacionalista Galego, one from Coalición Canaria, one from Unión del Pueblo Navarro, and one from Compromís.
