President of Andalucia Juanma Moreno has called for an end to ‘fear’ and ‘division’ in his New Year’s message.
Speaking from the Junta’s Malaga headquarters in the district of Alameda, the Partido Popular (PP) leader criticised a rise in ‘polarisation and tension’, particularly among young people.
His comments come as polls show hard-right party Vox are enjoying growing support from younger voters.
Moreno branded the social and political landscape as ‘very difficult’, characterised by a surge in ‘fear and division’.
He said: ‘Every debate is viewed through a political lens. Even diet and music are subject to polarisation and politicking. If you eat meat, fish, or vegetables, you’re either left-wing or right-wing, and the same goes for listening to one singer or another. How absurd is this?’
He later added: ‘I hope you enjoy New Year’s Eve and that no disagreement, much less a political one, spoils your dinner.’
Moreno said being a moderate is ‘the path to coexistence’, then, in a thinly veiled comment directed at Vox, said: ‘In these times of confrontation and noise, what is revolutionary is tolerance.’
Moreno followed the lead of King Felipe, who identified polarisation and societal division as his main concern in his Christmas speech.
‘We heard His Majesty say this a few days ago: one’s own ideas cannot be dogmas, nor can those of others be threats,’ Moreno said.
The leader said that in Andalucia, ‘it is not necessary to call early elections’, due to his party’s majority, which has allowed them to get meaningful laws passed.
It comes after Aragon and Extremedura were both forced into early elections in recent weeks.
He highlighted the approval of the budgets (which ‘break public spending records each year’) and some 30 laws (including two proposed by the opposition) that have passed in the Andalusian Parliament ‘without any surprises or last-minute negotiations’.
He also added: ‘A sufficient majority is not an obstacle to listening to the opposition and considering their proposals if they are positive. I think it’s important to stress this because it happens in very few places in Spain; this is what some have called the Andalusian way.’
Moreno said that he will be able to serve out his term and call elections around June, as he has been announcing for months.
Housing as a Priority
Among the approved laws he is most proud of, he emphasised the new housing law, which comes into effect in January.
The legislation aims to promote an expansion of the public and private housing stock in response to soaring prices.
Moreno recognised housing as the main concern of the population, especially among young people.
Moreno said: ‘In the last four years, Andalucia has created more than 15,000 new subsidised housing units, four times more than in the previous six years. Is that enough? No, it isn’t. But, without a doubt, that is progress.
‘As is the fact that next year we will hand over the keys to their homes to 1,300 families.’
Health scandal swerved
The issue that has politically defined Moreno’s administration in 2025 has undoubtedly been healthcare.
The Andalusian president has faced his most critical moment following the failures in breast cancer screenings that, according to figures from the Junta, affected more than 2,300 women.The crisis claimed the political life of his advisor, Rocio Hernandez.
However, Moreno swerved the sensitive issue in his speech, and in fact barely mentioned the healthcare sector, which, according to surveys, is the problem that most affects the population.
He said: ‘Andalucia is making decisive progress, and this coming year we will continue to open new healthcare centres in all eight provinces.
‘Never before has so much been invested in healthcare, although we are aware that whatever is done will never be enough.’
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
