Air Force General Manuel Mestre is leaving the Congress of Deputies fed up with “the tics of a born and mediocre leadership caste” to run for Vox’s mayor of Orihuela. It confirms that Ciudadanos is not trustworthy, that it is a party capable of taking over districts with district mayors that have done the job of “buying votes for copyright.” It promises a review of taxes and subsidies issued by the City Council, some “aiming to attract votes and create a network of patronage.” He asserts that he will lead any citizen demonstration in Vega Baja demanding water rights and that the Linguistic Immersion Act will be repealed: “The language requirement will never be a requirement for access to the public function of our City Council.”
QUESTION: What motivated you to leave the Congress of Deputies and run for Orihuela?
REPLY: Two reasons: First, there is a point of frustration in my work as a national MP, because my experience in Congress makes me clearly see the fragility of institutions, inadequate parliamentary representation, minimal accountability, and innate tics. and the mediocre ruling caste, which imposes its “memory” and acts in the key of autocracy. On the other hand, I have a desire to serve my people in a more concrete and tangible way than Congress, based on my political experience.
“My experience in Congress allows me to clearly see the fragility of institutions”
Q: Recently, there have been accusations between two Vox councilors on the City Council. In addition to accusing you of putting your nephew on the 2019 lists, Asunción Aniorte described you as “squeaky, misogynistic and a liar” and criticized the side that wanted a share from the municipality. How do you defend yourself? Could this affect voter confidence?
A: I cannot defend myself against insults except by denying them and not responding. If the voter knows me and Ms. Aniorte, there will be no loss of confidence. If you don’t know us, there’s no doubt you can impress us.
“If the voter knows me and Miss Aniorte, there is absolutely no loss of confidence”
Q: You often criticize corruption when mayors and councilors are accused or investigated, why is Vox different?
A: Because Vox comes into politics with clean hands. Except for me, who is a deputy, none of the members on my list participated in politics. We all have a full professional life and we don’t need politics to live, but we interpret it as a service to society.
Q: You also criticized nepotism and the “caquismo 2.0” practiced by some village headmen. Is the citizen reliable? Do you agree with them? And with PP?
A: Ciudadanos should not be trusted due to his performance during his tenure, and he broke the PP and the PSOE’s surrender agreement, which better guaranteed Mr Alcántara’s interests. All this against their national leadership. It has the authority to seize the district mayors and districts who have done the job of “buying votes” against royalty. We will define agreements based on the support given to us by citizens, and they should represent the will of the electorate in an unforgivable way.
“Citizens who break an agreement with the PP should not be trusted to surrender to the PSOE, which better guarantees Mr. Alcántara’s interests”
Q: If Vox reaches the government, will the Ministry of Equality-LGTBI be lifted?
A: We will transform it into a broader and inclusive concept, the Family Department. This department will be responsible for establishing tax measures to support maternity and work-life reconciliation. Of course, we will guarantee the rights of the LGTBI collective and all groups represented in Oriolan society.
Q: You promised to lower taxes, like what?
A: IBI applies 0.4% for urban and 0.3% for rustic. 50% discount for families with children, exemption for large families. 70% discount and exemption from municipal taxes in the first two years of establishment for companies promoting R&D+i. Value Increase Tax of Urban Lands. We will examine the Economic Activities Tax, the Mechanical Traction Tools Tax and the Construction, Installation and Works Tax.
“Some of the subsidies given by the City Council are aimed at attracting votes and creating a customer network”
Q: One of your tools is management capacity. What unnecessary expenses and subsidies should be eliminated?
A: We will examine, one by one, all the subsidies currently granted by the City Council, some of which are explicitly aimed at gaining votes and creating a client network, with the criteria of rationality.
Q: What are your priorities or star criteria in heritage?
A: Promote the preservation of the historic center by providing assistance to tourism companies relocating buildings in the old center, promoting conservation and cleanliness. Negotiating with the owners for the confiscation of unused land through a public-private company action for the construction of social housing for young people. Rehabilitation of facades at no cost to the owners. Agreement with the Church for the usufruct of unused real estate.
Q: How exactly are you talking about restoring water rights and using one’s own language in the capital city of Vega Baja?
A: We will activate the necessary legislative measures within its mandate, including a request from the City Council to repeal certain laws. We will support all civic groups that support the elimination of ecological flows and language impositions. We will lead any civic demonstration in Vega Baja demanding the right to water and the repeal of the Linguistic Immersion Law. The language requirement will never be a requirement for access to the public function of our City Council.
Source: Informacion
Emma Matthew is a political analyst for “Social Bites”. With a keen understanding of the inner workings of government and a passion for politics, she provides insightful and informative coverage of the latest political developments.