PP and Vox have suspended the monitoring commission of the government pact in the Seville City Council following the approval of the license to build a mosque in Polígono Sur. Mayor José Luis Sanz defends the legality of the project, while Vox announces legal measures.
The controversy over the construction of a mosque in Polígono Sur of Seville has led to the freezing of the government pact between PP and Vox in the capital of Seville. The municipal spokesperson for Vox, Gonzalo García de Polavieja, announced on Tuesday the suspension of the monitoring commission of the budget agreement, scheduled for Wednesday, and warned that "it is almost impossible for the pact to move forward."
The origin of the conflict is the construction license granted by the Urban Planning Management (GMU) to the Mosque Foundation of Seville to build a cultural centre with a mosque on a plot next to the Oliva neighbourhood. The executive committee of the GMU approved the project on Tuesday, despite the strong opposition from Vox, which believes that the Muslim temple will lead to an "Islamisation" of an area in need of social transformation.
Mayor José Luis Sanz firmly defended the decision: "I will neither ask the Urban Planning delegate to act unlawfully, nor the manager, nor will I act unlawfully myself. Ideology is not above legality." Sanz displayed a copy of the Spanish Constitution to remind that freedom of worship is protected by the Magna Carta. "What is being questioned, religion or race?" the mayor asked, reproaching Vox for not having submitted the legal report questioning the project.
Vox spokesperson García de Polavieja accused Sanz's team of "breaking the climate of trust" and announced that his party will file an appeal against the approval of the license, accompanied by a request for precautionary measures to prevent the start of construction. Additionally, Vox's national leader, Santiago Abascal, has joined the warnings about the judicialisation of the matter.
The budget pact between PP and Vox has been key to approving the municipal accounts for the last two fiscal years. Sanz emphasized that the agreement has been fulfilled "to the letter" and that none of its clauses refers to "consensual construction licenses" nor mentions the construction of mosques. "It would be the first political agreement in the history of our democracy that would be broken over a construction license or for complying with the law," the mayor ironically remarked.
The issue has transcended the local sphere and reached national politics, with PP defending the urban legality of the project and Vox warning of its social consequences. For now, relations between the two parties in the Seville City Council are on "stand by," awaiting the judiciary's ruling on Vox's appeal. The budget monitoring commission has been suspended indefinitely.
For the residents of Polígono Sur, the controversy adds uncertainty to a neighbourhood that is awaiting social transformation projects. The mosque, promoted by a private foundation, has all the favourable technical and legal reports, according to the local government. Vox, on the other hand, insists that the legality is questionable and that the temple will alter the area's identity.
The standoff between the government partners occurs less than a year before the municipal elections, raising political tension in the Seville capital. Meanwhile, the City Council continues its ordinary activities, but the shadow of the breakdown of the budget pact looms over the council.
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