He glances toward the field repeatedly. Vox faced trial during the last electoral cycle, tapping into rural discontent stirred by a drought that battered crops and a farming sector grappling with generational renewal challenges. The price surge last year hit farmers hard, and Vox, aiming to ride that unease, directed its messaging at rural communities, promising to stand with those who work the land. One campaign slogan for the 23J vote urged: Vote for what matters, the countryside. In meetings with farmers before the general election, the party argued that the primary sector suffered from global policies linked to climate change that imposed barriers and green taxes on rural areas.
Although Vox shed as many as 19 seats after 23J, the party rebounded in the May 28 elections and secured access to regional governments and municipalities with the backing of the People’s Party. Vox took control of up to four regions with councils empowered to manage agriculture. The party has been leading the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development in Castilla y León for about eighteen months and recently gained the same portfolio in Aragon and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Community of Valencia. In Extremadura, Vox holds the Ministry of Forest Management and Rural World with limited additional powers in the sector.
Despite the desire to represent rural interests and gain farmer support, representatives from some agricultural groups monitored the policy process and noted that much of agricultural policy is still shaped by Brussels directives through the Common Agricultural Policy. They expressed skepticism about potential shifts Vox might introduce. A concrete example involved the Castilla y León government clashing with Madrid and Brussels to loosen bovine tuberculosis regulations and modify the action protocol. Jesús Manuel González Palacín, general coordinator of Unión de Campesinos de Castilla y León, described the EU discussions as lacking adequate progress. While the Castilla y León leadership acknowledged that Vox’s minister, Gerardo Dueñas, favored changes to EU rules, González Palacín summed up the situation by saying the administration generally followed Europe’s defined trajectory.
Donaciano Dujo, president of Asaja in Castilla y León, pointed to limited dialogue with the region’s newly appointed agriculture ministry. He noted a shorter line of communication between advisors and officials in this legislature, while Palacín echoed the need for better outreach. Dujo affirmed the necessity of improving dialogue and added that Castilla y León remains especially hard hit by bovine tuberculosis. He emphasized measures to shield farmers from losses tied to the culling of affected cattle and called for stronger wildlife control.
dialogue stance
Following a June agreement with the People’s Party in the Valencia region, Vox secured the first vice presidency along with two ministries in the Valencia administration, including Agriculture. This cabinet retains powers over livestock, fisheries and food, while Environment and Water oversight remain with the People’s Party. Agricultural engineer José Luis Aguirre was installed as agriculture minister, and officials from the agriculture department described him as ready to pursue an agreement, increase rural budgets and push modernization of infrastructure. The Valencia Young Farmers Association also noted the council’s team has a highly technical profile.
Unió Llauradora expressed concern about delays in appointing top officials in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries two months after the elections and three weeks after Aguirre took office.
Continuity policy for Aragon
The latest regional agreement between the People’s Party and Vox in Aragon installed Santiago Abascal’s party as the regional administration’s partner, with Jorge Azcón as president in exchange for the vice presidency and key portfolios in Rural Development, Population Reduction and Justice, and Agriculture, Livestock and Food. Ángel Samper was named as the land owner running the ministry. Marcos Garcés, head of the Aragon Farmers and Ranchers Association, stressed the need for continuity and fluid cooperation, adding that major policy shifts are unlikely anytime soon. He highlighted that most CAP aid for Aragon had already been approved for this term, leaving little room for far-reaching changes amid the ongoing drought and evolving European rules.
The regional association leader acknowledged the ministry’s limited autonomy and resource base, with the CAP framework shaping much of the policy environment. Garcés noted the practicalities of managing within a system where administrative capacity is constrained, and where the interplay with European regulations continues to matter for rural life.
Very limited powers in Extremadura
In Extremadura, the deal allows the popular María Guardiola to lead the autonomous community, with Vox maintaining a presence in the Ministry of Forest Management and Rural World. Most agricultural policy remains under the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development, Environment and Energy, controlled by the People’s Party, though the Rural World ministry holds some authority over agriculture. Metidieri, the Extremadura Asaja president, said there were a few meetings with the new rural world leadership, but its remit appears narrowly focused on forestry and irrigation rather than land management. He urged clearer details on proposed measures and called for a plan that addresses the core needs of the countryside, including reducing bureaucratic hurdles and bringing more young people into rural areas.