Tension in Leganés: PSOE and Vox Absent from Budget Negotiations
The opposition groups did not attend the first round of talks for the 2026 budget and surplus investments, drawing criticism from the local government.
By Patricia Gómez Navarro
••3 min read
IA
Generic image of a microphone on a podium in an empty meeting room, symbolizing political negotiations.
The Government of Leganés, led by Mayor Miguel Ángel Recuenco (PP), has denounced the absence of the municipal groups PSOE and Vox from the first meeting to negotiate the 2026 budget and treasury surplus investments.
According to municipal sources, both Recuenco and his governing partner, Carlos Delgado (ULEG), invited the opposition, but only Más Madrid attended. Podemos requested to postpone the meeting due to agenda conflicts, while PSOE and Vox did not show up.
This situation is not new; over the past two years, proposals to fund projects with surplus funds have failed due to the opposition groups' refusal, leaving the local Executive in a minority.
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"Many opposition councilors constantly behave with an irresponsibility that borders on shameful. Ignoring the Government's outstretched hand to negotiate this year's budget is a dereliction of duty, a lack of respect for residents, and a serious detriment to the city."
The mayor criticized the Socialist Party for their willingness to negotiate weeks prior, contrasting it with their absence from the meeting to work on a consensual budget. Municipal sources detailed that the PSOE refused to meet, citing the need for a detailed prior analysis and linking negotiations to issues unrelated to the budget debate.
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"If they have a minimum of democratic respect, do not insult us on the City Council's social media, and convene plenary sessions agreeing on day and date, we will facilitate the settlement of invoices to suppliers, and if this happens for two months, we will negotiate each budgetary modification for investments one by one, proposing those we believe are most prioritized."
The PSOE emphasizes the importance of complying with the average payment period to suppliers, which should be under 30 days, and refuses to discuss new investments without first ensuring payment to those who have already provided services to the city. Additionally, the socialists are willing to review pending invoices under conditions of legality and transparency, such as favorable audit reports and priority for older invoices.
Meanwhile, Vox also failed to attend. According to the local government, Beatriz Tejero's group referred to a previous agreement with the Popular Party that, they claim, Vox unilaterally broke. Tejero confirmed having presented a draft agreement to the mayor before the current summons, which was not accepted.
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"The responses from most opposition groups have in common the search for excuses and alibis to avoid facing the reality demonstrated by their texts: that they do not want to contribute anything to the city, because they have nothing to contribute. Their sole purpose is to seek to make this Government fail, because what they want is to boycott the functioning of the city and try to gain electoral advantage."
Delgado lamented the opposition's attitude, accusing them of seeking excuses not to contribute to the city's development and of trying to boycott the Government for electoral interests. He affirmed that the Government will continue to seek understanding and will not halt its activities.
In this context, only the municipal group Más Madrid participated in the negotiations with the coalition Executive, agreeing to future meetings.
