Andalusian Parliament president expects swearing-in session during first half of July

The president of the Andalusian parliament, Jesús Aguirre, expects the session to elect the next president of the Andalusian regional government to take place during the first half of July, following the constitution of the parliamentary bureau this week.

Speaking to Canal Sur Radio, Mr Aguirre said parliamentary groups were expected to be formed next week, after which he would begin consultations with the parties on their preferred candidate.

Mr Aguirre said: “Each of them will have to tell me which candidate they would like to support.”

“The swearing in ceremony, I guess, could be the first fortnight of July, but it will all depend on parliamentary agreements. As usual.”

The comments came a day after the inaugural session of the XIII Legislative Assembly, during which MPs elected the ureau of the Andalusian parliament.

The Partido Popular, which won the recent regional election but failed to secure a parliamentary majority, retained control of the bureau without making concessions to Vox, leaving the far-right party without representation among parliament’s five senior management positions.

The move has been widely interpreted as a demonstration of strength by the PP leader and incumbent president, Juanma Moreno, as negotiations continue over his re-election.

The bureau plays a key role in the operation of parliament, overseeing its diary, setting priorities and managing parliamentary business.

Although the PP emerged from the regional election as the largest party, it fell two seats short of the 55 required for an absolute majority in the 109-seat chamber.

As a result, Mr Moreno requires either the support of another parliamentary group or sufficient abstentions to secure his investiture.

No agreement has yet been reached between the PP and Vox on either the investiture vote or the formation of a future government.

Jesús Aguirre was re-elected president of the bureau, a position he has held since 2022, without any votes cast against his candidature.

Ana Mestre, Fernando López Gil and Manuel Andrés González were elected deputy chairs, while José Ramón Carmona, Olga Manzano and Julia Ibáñez were elected secretaries.

After the bureau was constituted, the 109 MPs formally took their seats in Parliament.

Parties without representation on the bureau, including Vox, Adelante Andalucía and Por Andalucía, will be able to participate in discussions but will not have voting rights.

Reports in the Spanish media suggest negotiations between the PP and Vox are continuing, with discussion centred on whether Vox will enter a future Andalusian government and when any agreement might be finalised.

Only one meeting between Mr Moreno and the Vox parliamentary leader, Manuel Gavira, has been publicly reported.

According to reports citing PP sources, an agreement between the two parties is widely expected, although uncertainty remains over its timing and scope.

Should an agreement be reached, it is considered likely that the composition of the bureau could be revised to provide Vox with greater responsibilities.

Parliamentary groups are due to be formally constituted on June 16.

The deadline for proposing a candidate for the presidency of the Andalusian Government is July 1.

The investiture debate typically takes place several days after a candidate is formally proposed.

During the first vote, a candidate must secure an absolute majority of 55 votes to be elected president.

If that vote is unsuccessful, a second vote is held 48 hours later, requiring only a simple majority of votes cast.

Should no candidate be elected, further attempts can be made over a two-month period from the date of the first vote, after which new elections may be called.

August is traditionally a parliamentary recess month.