Controversy in Alicante's Council Meeting Over DANA Aid as Vox Councillor Denied Vote During Paternity Leave

During the council meeting, the agenda seemed straightforward, with a single item: one and a half million euros to support the reconstruction of

the areas affected by DANA. A seemingly simple point with little controversy, as all groups agreed on the necessity to assist the province of Valencia. All parties had requested it, and it finally reached the council this Friday.

However, the reality was quite different. Before the meeting began,

Vox councillor Mario Ortolà defended his right to attend the meeting despite being on paternity leave. As the meeting commenced, the council secretary informed him that he must vacate his seat, to which he responded by asserting his right and duty to political participation "as a councillor elected by the people of Alicante".

This altercation ended with the councillor leaving the council chamber and taking a seat in the public area. The party has announced they will consider legal actions and challenge meetings where Mario Ortolà is denied access. "Barcala expelled me when his colleague Maria José Catalá, the mayor of Valencia, attended her investiture session to vote for herself in 2023, just 12 days after her child's birth and while on maternity leave," the councillor stated.

With this precedent, the party questions: "Is Barcala encouraging us to challenge Catalá's election as mayor of Valencia?" The councillor insists there are "sufficient precedents" to attend and vote, and they are considering legal actions to uphold their fundamental right to political participation as elected councillors.

The absence of a Vox councillor leaves the council in a technical tie in each vote between the government team. In such cases, the mayor's casting vote would decide, potentially allowing the PP to approve initiatives in upcoming meetings without needing another group's support. Already

in the October meeting - held on November 5th - the new waste tax was approved with the opposition's block vote against (14 to 14) and Barcala's casting vote. Upcoming issues could include the awning ordinance, the application of ZAS, or even the initial approval of municipal budgets.

Although the proposal passed unanimously, as expected, the notion of a "white glove" meeting imposed by the urgency of the October floods was left behind. While it might seem that the urgency of a credit modification to send one and a half million euros to Valencia could justify the lack of political debate and ideological confrontation, this was not the case in Alicante's council meeting.

The PP councillor, Toni Gallego, defended the urgency of these aids, announcing they would arrive in record time to contribute to the reconstruction of the affected areas. However, after his speech, the opposition used their speaking turns to criticise the DANA management by the president of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón.

Thus, Manolo Copé called for Mazón's resignation during the meeting and expressed doubts about the Generalitat's management of public funds; the Compromís spokesperson was harsher, not only labelling the president a "suspected criminal" but also admonishing the PP bench to "feel ashamed of this criminal." Meanwhile, Robledillo, the Vox spokesperson, lamented that "it's a shame you politicise this meeting." The most measured line of opposition came from Ana Barceló, who used her speaking turn to discuss the tragedy's magnitude, ending with a call for Mazón's resignation.

Despite expectations of consensus and calm, the reality was that political confrontation over DANA reached the council meeting, with harsh interventions like Mas's, prompting the mayor to calm his own bench. "Ignore him, it's his circus, he has to put on this show, but ignore him," the mayor advised the popular councillors.

The final intervention came from the popular councillor Toni Gallego, who closed the meeting by saying he prefers "not to engage in a debate that tarnishes the help of the people of Alicante."