The left-wing PSOE and Por Andalucia parties have said they will take legal action against Sevilla City Council after campaign posters were removed from lampposts across the city.
The row erupted after municipal workers took down election materials overnight, prompting accusations that the council – led by the conservative Partido Popular (PP) – had interfered in the election campaign.
Alejandro Moyano, PSOE-A’s deputy organisation secretary and candidate for Sevilla, described the move as ‘illegal’ and ‘shameful’.
‘The PP has been caught removing political rivals using power tools, from lampposts that were assigned and authorised by the Electoral Board,’ he wrote on social media.
‘It’s anti-democratic and we will report it.’
Por Andalucia echoed the criticism. Ismael Sanchez, spokesperson for Izquierda Unida in Sevilla City Council, accused mayor Jose Luis Sanz of ‘crossing a very serious line’ by allegedly ordering the removal of campaign material from spaces that had been officially allocated.
He pointed to a specific case on Calle Resolana, where his party had been assigned 10 lampposts for campaign use under an agreement signed by all parties and municipal officials.
‘This is extremely serious and unworthy of a democratic institution,’ Sanchez said.
‘The mayor cannot use public resources to interfere in an election campaign or remove legally placed materials.’
He added that the action could breach Spain’s electoral law, which guarantees parties access to designated public spaces for campaign advertising.
However, the city council has rejected the accusations, insisting the removals were based purely on safety concerns and applied to all parties equally.
Officials said inspections found that some posters posed a structural risk to lampposts and could endanger pedestrians.
Others were placed in unauthorised locations or installed without the required permits.
According to the council, many banners lacked proper protective fittings, while others were attached using methods not allowed under safety regulations – including plastic ties and double fixtures that increase wind pressure on the structures.
‘The priority is public safety,’ a spokesperson said, adding that campaign materials must comply with technical requirements and be installed only in authorised spaces with the appropriate permissions.
Andalucia will head to the polls for regional elections on May 17.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
