No-confidence vote fails in Serranía de Ronda village but mayor announces he will step down in December

The 'pueblo blanco' of Benalauría in Malaga province's Serranía de Ronda experienced an extraordinary general meeting of its local council last Friday, amidst great political anticipation. The motion of no confidence lodged on 22 August against Partido Popular (PP) mayor, Cristóbal Díaz, did not succeed in the end due to the support of four councillors voting against the motion. They were the three PP councillors and the independent councillor Alejandro Guerrero, who withdrew his signature supporting the motion at the 11th hour, leaving only three votes in favour of no-confidence from the PSOE councillor and two from Benalauría's local, independent electors' association (AEB).

Although this result was already foreseen after Guerrero's change of sides, the meeting confirmed that the initiative was a non-starter. The mayor himself used the session to announce that he will step down in December, to be replaced by the current deputy mayor, Alicia González, also from the PP.

Díaz explained that his decision is personal and freely made, not politically motivated, and that he is doing so "for the good of the people, who do not deserve a vote of no confidence". He added that he will run again as a candidate in the next municipal elections and that, following his resignation as mayor, he will take up the post of deputy mayor. Díaz insisted that he is leaving out of his own conviction, after having explained his decision to local residents, who, he noted, understood his reasons.

Days earlier, the PP had confirmed an agreement with Alejandro Guerrero to guarantee the stability of local government in the village. According to the party, the talks held in recent days served to "put the general interest of the municipality before any internal disagreements" and to strengthen governance in this village in the Genal Valley.

After the council meeting, secretary-general for the PP in Malaga, José Ramón Carmona, described the result as "the second defeat of Sanchismo in the province in less than two months", after the socialist-led, no-confidence motion in Benaoján also fell through in July. "Today shows that socialist trickery is not welcome and that no one wants to join Sánchez's PSOE after the damage done to the interests of this province," said Carmona, who congratulated both the mayor and the councillors "for having risen to the occasion".

The PP leader in Malaga defended the PP as offering "strength and serious government projects" and that he will continue to work hand in hand with the residents. "The reality is that nobody wants to link their fate to Pedro Sánchez's PSOE", he said.

With this outcome, the PSOE has had its second failed attempt at a no-confidence vote in just six weeks in the Serranía de Ronda, following the withdrawal of the initiative in Benaoján in July due to pressure on the PP councillor supporting it. In the meantime, the PP retains control in both Benaoján and Benalauría, despite the fact that a change of mayor is looming in the latter village at the end of the year.