“I have not raised a motion, there would have to be powerful reasons”

Begona Villacis (Madrid, 1977) has the votes to prosper a motion of censure at the Madrid City Hall. But, at least for now, he categorically denies that possibility: “What the opposition is doing is replacing this coalition government.” She talks with El Periódico de España, a newspaper belonging to the same group, Prensa Ibérica, as this newspaper, on Thursday at noon in her office in Cibeles, where she insists that “powerful reasons” are needed to break up a government.

When Friday comes to light The summary of the ‘punch’ of the masks that affects the town hall and, especially the mayor, this newspaper resumes the conversation with the deputy mayor, who confirms that “he is studying it thoroughly”. Until then, and with the reservation that events move very quickly, he says, this is his position.

Does the Government of the Madrid City Council remain united after the case of the masks?

Yes. We are united, we always have been. It is true that we are a coalition government with two parties, each with leadership. We treat each other with respect and seriousness. Now too.

Do you still trust the mayor or do recent events take their toll on you?

There have been things that, honestly, I have not liked. And especially in relation to the investigation commission on the alleged espionage. In the case of the commissions, the mayor is not investigated. And it is important to be objective. In politics, a tabula rasa is often done. Trying to be serious and guaranteeing is trading down because it would be easy to make a motion of censure.

With espionage within the PP, the feeling I have left, without knowing if there really was or not, is that the PP makes it very difficult for us to understand what has happened. He avoids bringing his people to testify and that is a lack of respect, not towards me, but towards the people of Madrid. What we do know is that there has been an attempt, that there could have been corruption here. And that is a very serious thing. You can say that you are in favor of transparency and that you will not tolerate cases of corruption. But what you have to do is prove it.

Q. And don’t you find it reprehensible that the mayor’s cousin was the link for a ‘punch’ of those dimensions at the worst moment of the pandemic?

R. With the information we have, I do not find it objectionable. For being objective. And for me, being from another political party, it would be easy to say that in the PP they are amoral… But it is that in those times we were desperate because we did not have masks. Every time I saw a local police officer without protection… That has to be lived. We didn’t sleep at night. What seems wrong to me? Let Mr. Feijóo talk about everything except corruption.

I insist. Isn’t it compatible that the mayor is not charged with feeling outrage over the millionaire commissions of two businessmen thanks to a contact who is Almeida’s family?

Of course it angers me. I find it a shame. The adjective that I used the first day was “Jets & rdquor ;. And it’s the first word that came to my mind when I heard about the luxury watch, the cars, the yacht… With what it cost us at that time to find the contracts, the masks, with the need that there was… Taking advantage of the desperation of the people of Madrid and buying a yacht with public money and with that desperation is shameful. That is why we have appeared as a town hall and as a Funeral Home. I hope that yacht becomes money again in the pockets of the people of Madrid.

And in the midst of this discomfort that he expresses and knowing that he has the votes of the opposition, at no time, even just one, has the motion of censure been raised?

The truth is, no. I haven’t thought about that at this time. The opposition is in to replace this coalition government. Those who ask me to make a motion of censure do not think about whether the situation is strong enough to promote that motion. They do it because they don’t want us to govern. They do not want a government of conservatives and liberals. But to break a government and fail your pact there must be powerful reasons. We are not Manueco. We are decent. Now I constantly remember García Egea saying that we were planning a motion of censure. Here you have the proof and the reality that we are more serious than them.

In less than two months he has already said publicly that his partner hid very important information from him and found out through the press. How does he take it?

I would distinguish the two cases. The investigation commission thing was… When we found out that the PP, and watch out because this did not happen to the City Council, was doing an investigation on Isabel Díaz Ayuso through the EMVS, with Ciudadanos holding the vice-presidency of that public company and several directors, because the situation was very different. There are very important contradictions. And that is why I insist that it would help a lot if Feijóo called up his teammates.

Do you think that Feijóo would have to intervene in this case?

Yes. I think that if he aspires to be a candidate for the presidency and leads the PP, I would like to know what he thinks of corruption, of transparency and how he reacts to it. And in the face of the first case that has come before her, here in the Madrid City Council, the possibility that a party colleague is taking place or has been investigated… I would expect more forcefulness or roundness. Ayuso doesn’t want to come either, and that she would do it as a victim. She sounded the alarm. How did she find out? Because then we would know what has happened in this City Council and we could clear the name of the institution. There is no real commitment to transparency if they do not come to appear later.

If the appearances do not prosper and the investigation commission is empty, will you also consider the case closed?

No. I will not close the case and we will see how we deal with it because I want to know what has happened here. There are still those appearing and some are very interesting. I have called again and demanded the presence of all those who have said no. We are going to give them a second chance because if they don’t come it is clear that they don’t want to tell what they know. We have given them all the facilities. I represent this institution and my honor goes in this too.

In other words, does it guarantee that this government will last as it is until May 2023?

I think so. And now comes the most beautiful part because we have been planting and investing for three years and we are beginning to reap results. I do hope that not one more case of this type comes out… We need tranquility to govern. Every time I see the grotesqueness of the Government of the Nation and how some think differently from others… José Luis and I disagree on many things, especially in the more social part, we have different thoughts, but we also know how to talk things over and do what is best for Madrid. Sometimes they win and sometimes we do. In environmental matters, for example, they have not pushed back the low emissions zone because Ciudadanos is not going to allow it. We have a balanced government.

Since this week, Vox is officially a government party. In the end, Mañueco only managed to exchange them for another partner.

A ruling party is saying a lot. In Castilla y León they have, to begin with, a vice president without assigned functions. Vox has entered the government just to say so, not to govern. And it is very curious because it happens in the same week in which the PP dares to say that they are the party that most resembles Macron. In France Macron faces Le Pen. And in Spain the PP is with those who represent Le Pen. They have replaced us with Vox and it seems like a bad deal to me.

In addition, they have done it in a tricky and dirty way. Mañueco called elections based on two lies: that we were going to promote a motion of censure that we had already voted against, and that we were negotiating the Budgets behind his back, when Paco Igea showed that this was not the case with a WhatsApp. There are two ways of doing politics. In Ciudadanos, I could be mayor today and I am a decent person, I like to have a say and politics has not degraded me.

Will it be the first of many coalitions between PP and Vox?

Behind the parties there are people who vote for them and for me they deserve all respect. But in Castilla y León the dynamics have totally changed with that pact. Domestic violence exists because of course there are children and elderly people who are attacked, but denying that women are not more likely to be attacked because they are women is stupidity and a retrograde symptom. The important thing is not the pacts, but the contents of the pacts. This is the first time that we are going to see in Spain how consensus and progress are broken. And in Europe going hand in hand and having the allies of Le Pen, Bolsonaro or Salvini as partners is not a positive thing.

It assumes that the PP is going to compromise with Vox’s ideological agenda.

Of course. I would like to think not because we heard Feijóo make statements in which it seemed that he was going to move away from that. Actually the PP has it very easy. They opted for Vox instead of Ciudadanos because Mr. García Egea said that they were more reliable than us. I think it is clear that it is not true. In Andalusia Vox did not support the Budgets and in the Madrid City Council they make the mandate unbreathable.

The next electoral appointment is the Andalusian one. Do citizens have options to survive?

He has them. I know that we are not in our best moment, I am not one of those who puts on a smile, period. When the poles become strong, the center suffers. It has always happened to us. But the time will come when wisdom and common sense will be called for again. This is a time when we have to hold on. The center is going to survive, we have seen it in Castilla y León with a more adverse electoral law. It is essential that we endure in this change of cycle. Andalusia is going to be better with Ciudadanos and if people have liked what has happened in this legislature, what they have to do is vote for the same thing again.

Where do you see yourself in 2023? This question is recurring.

What I am passionate about is the city of Madrid and I love local politics, the transformation of cities, politics for the citizen… But I am also aware that we need a country in which the center once again marks the debate. PP and PSOE are better when they compete with the center. I will be where I am needed.

What is the legacy that this coalition government will leave in Madrid?

For me one of the most beautiful and important projects, and I feel that it is still so unknown, is the metropolitan forest. We have presented it at the UN. It is the largest green infrastructure to be built in Europe in the next decade. It is a 75-kilometre forest that begins to surround the city of Madrid. We already have 63 hectares and we have a web page that counts the number of trees planted. I think it’s wonderful. There is always a commitment to gray infrastructures and we have opted for this. We have done many things, creating by the way the largest refugee center in all of Europe. The previous city council put up a banner in Cibeles, we have already created more places than them in four years. Whoever says that this city is going badly is lying. This city is very stimulated, we believe in public-private collaboration, we listen to all sectors, we are in close contact with the hotel industry, with innovation companies… Anyone who walks through Madrid knows that it is working well.