The three Vox councillors in the Seville City Council have announced that they will withdraw their external support for José Luis Sanz's government if the licence to build an Islamic cultural centre with a mosque in Polígono Sur is granted this Tuesday.
The project by the Mezquita de Sevilla Foundation to build an Islamic cultural centre in the Polígono Sur neighbourhood has opened a rift between the PP and Vox in the Seville City Council. The three councillors from Abascal's party have launched an online petition campaign on Monday and warned that they will challenge the licence in court if the local government grants it, as is expected to happen this Tuesday.
The tension arises just as the PP and Vox have sealed a coalition agreement in the Junta de Andalucía, which has placed Manuel Gavira as vice president of the Andalusian Executive. However, in the capital, relations are more fragile: the PP governs with a minority of fourteen councillors and relies on external support from Vox to push forward its initiatives. That backing, as warned by the Vox councillors, is at risk if the project is authorised.
The mayor, José Luis Sanz, has defended granting the licence, arguing that the project meets all urban planning requirements and that denying it would constitute an illegality. The decision is expected to be made at the government board meeting this Tuesday, and the municipal team asserts that there is no room for discretion.
The Mezquita de Sevilla Foundation, a cultural entity led by first and second generation Spanish Muslims, has been trying to build a mosque in the city for over twenty years. Currently, there are more than a dozen premises and warehouses adapted for prayer, but none were built specifically for that purpose. The project, designed by architect Guillermo Vázquez Consuegra, is to be built on a plot of nearly 3,000 square metres and includes over 6,000 square metres of constructed area, of which about 1,000 will correspond to the prayer hall. The rest will house parking, courtyards, exhibition rooms, offices, and a café.
Vox, for its part, believes that the mosque violates the General Urban Planning Plan (PGOU) and has expressed its rejection of what it describes as the “Islamisation of neighbourhoods.” The party has launched an online petition campaign and announced that if the licence is granted, it will file an administrative contentious appeal.
The standoff between the PP and Vox in Seville occurs in a context of unstable alliances. While the coalition works in the Junta, in the City Council the lack of an absolute majority forces the PP to negotiate every step with its potential partners. The decision regarding the mosque has become the first major test for the municipal legislature.
For the residents of Polígono Sur, the project could provide cultural and service facilities in a neighbourhood that has traditionally lacked amenities. However, the political controversy threatens to delay an initiative that has been on the table for years. The Islamic community in Seville hopes that the licence will be granted without further delays, while Vox promises to continue its opposition.
The local government board meets this Tuesday to decide the future of the project. If the licence is approved, the next step will be the presentation of the legal appeal announced by Vox, which could prolong the process for months. Meanwhile, Sanz's government will have to weigh whether the political cost of maintaining the standoff with the far-right is worth it or if, on the contrary, it will seek a last-minute agreement to avoid a rupture.
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