Ceuta president Juan Jesús Vivas reaffirmed on Monday, 19 October 2026, that he would stand again as the candidate of the Partido Popular for the Presidency of the Ciudad Autónoma in the regional elections scheduled for May 2027. He told regional media that he had the necessary support within the party. According to him, the party bodies have yet to make a formal decision on the nomination.
Vivas has led the city government since 2001, shaping politics in Ceutafor more than 25 years. In his statement, he pointed to continuity on key issues in the current term, including budget policy, co-operation with the central government in Madrid, and management of the external border with Morocco’s province of Tetuán. He did not comment on possible coalition arrangements or agreements.
According to party sources, the question of the candidate in Ceuta will be decided through the usual internal party process. The president did not give a date for the final nomination. It also remains unclear who the other political groups will put forward for the 2027 elections as their lead candidates. No claims about electoral prospects or seat distribution are made in the absence of reliable data.
He also has the backing of the national party leadership: at a meeting of the Partido Popular’s Junta Directiva in late September 2026, chairman Alberto Núñez Feijóo voiced support for the leadership in Ceuta. In the city, party representatives stress the need for stable majorities ahead of the forthcoming negotiations on the 2027 budget.
Vivas’s announcement is the latest development in local Ceuta politics. It comes amid a debate that has been under way for months about administrative capacity, public order and the management of migration at the border. Administrative details – such as deadlines for candidate proposals, formal confirmation of lists and possible debate formats – will occupy the city in the coming weeks. As of today, the only confirmed point is the incumbent’s intention to stand again for the presidency of the Ciudad Autónoma.
Vivas did not present a policy outline extending beyond the election campaign on Monday. Instead, the president referred to ongoing discussions within the Partido Popular. He named no other prospective candidates besides himself.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).