Santa Cruz de Tenerife (EFE) Government, but the elections were won by the Socialist Party”.
In his response in plenary session of Parliament to Clavijo’s investiture speech, the outgoing president and leader of the Canarian PSOE has demanded that the candidate, as a result of his pacts with PP, clarify whether he is willing “to prop up a government of the far-right”, because, although he repeats that he will not do it, he also denied that he was going to agree with Vox, but thanks to the support of this CC party he got the mayoralty of Teguise.
Torres recalled that Clavijo lost 32,000 votes in the 2023 elections in relation to 2019, while he obtained 32,000 more, until surpassing him by 120,000 votes, which makes it clear who the Canaries want for president and reveals “a democratic deficit” that need to be addressed.
“The norms are like that, I respect and accept them, but that does not mean that we do not have to modify them to solve the democratic deficit,” said Torres, for whom it is not necessary to go to more deputies, but “to walk in the double and the triple insularity”, because it is not logical that the regional list has only a weight of 12 percent in the composition of the chamber.
In any case, he insisted on recognizing the legitimacy of the government that is going to be constituted because it is supported by the majority of the plenary session and he promised to exercise a constructive but firm opposition.
The opposition will be based on dialogue in defense of the common interest, but will be attentive to any “glimpse” of setbacks in social rights, the fight against climate change, tolerance or setbacks in gender equality.
In this regard, he warned Clavijo that his pact with the PP cannot hide the fact that the popular groups are reaching agreements with the extreme right that lead to the censorship of culture, the withdrawal of flags that defend human rights and attacks against the freedom.
“I hope that dark times do not come,” proclaimed the socialist leader.
Ángel Víctor Torres regretted Clavijo’s “hollow” and “rhetorical” speech and was especially concerned with the tax discounts that he has announced, which may mean 500 million euros less in income from the IGIC, which would rise to 1,100 million if the Community Autónoma has to compensate councils and town halls for their own losses.
“Where are you going to cut?” Torres asked Clavijo, adding that if he finally does not lower taxes, he will have committed “a deceit” to his constituents.
Another of Torres’ concerns is that the PP is going to be in charge of a Commissioner for the development of the REF, when it was that party during the governments of Mariano Rajoy that applied the greatest cuts in history, he affirmed.
For Torres, the announcement that in practice the incoming government will have three more ministries will mean more spending and more political positions, an executive that will come out “more expensive”, and in which the crossing of posts reveals the mistrust between the partners.
The socialist leader recalled the achievements of his government and stated that he leaves a Canary Islands “with difficulties but better” and that will require Clavijo to deliver “a better Canary Islands.” EFE