Overview
- Vox announced the definitive expulsion of councillors Juanma Badenas and Cecilia Herrero, a move the party communicated to the municipal plenary secretariat on Tuesday.
- The expulsions will be formally noted at the city council plenary on Friday, after which both councillors will sit as non-attached members in the grupo mixto.
- The timing changes speaking time, committee makeup and bargaining leverage in the chamber and forces the PP to negotiate separately with the official Vox group and the two now non-aligned councillors for measures taken to the plenary.
- Municipal government sources say the PP–Vox administration will maintain continuity and press ahead with the 2027 budget, but local reporting warns the shift creates short-term uncertainty for Mayor María José Catalá's management of the council.
- Both expelled councillors retain their roles and face prior disciplinary and legal issues that have strained relations with party leadership, a background that helps explain Vox's move and what to watch next in the council's negotiations.