Zaragoza Mayor Natalia Chueca on 7 September 2026 called on the city council group of Vox to act “responsibly” so that the 2027 budget can be passed on time. She noted that cooperation since 2019 “has brought good results for the city” and urged them to “maintain the same approach”.
According to the city council, the administration is working on the draft 2027 budget. Chueca indicated that it would be larger than this year's budget, to secure investment and projects already under way. She highlighted the progress made in implementing the 2026 budget during the first eight months and linked this to her appeal for planning certainty in City Council .
Vox is making its support conditional on the full implementation of measures agreed in the 2026 budget. The group spokesperson Eva Torres said that “outstanding issues” had to be dealt with before new negotiations, to ensure reliability. This continues the line the group has taken since the end of August, which Chueca had previously described as “negotiable”, while also warning against deadlock.
The classification of the Zona de Bajas Emisionesremains contentious. Vox has repeatedly called for the requirements and penalties associated with the ZBE to be reduced. Chueca counters that weakening the ZBE could jeopardise financial subsidies and create legal risks for the city. She stresses that the ZBE has “only a limited direct impact” on the budget, but that obligations under state and European requirements must be taken into account.
Formally, the city council majority needs additional votes to pass the 2027 budget. Without an agreement, tenders and multi-year investment projects, for example in urban development and mobility measures, risk being delayed. The administration says a late decision would make it harder to commit funds and could push payment obligations into the next financial year.
Both sides signal a willingness to talk. Chueca points to the cooperation with Vox practised since 2019 in Zaragoza and the political stability they believe this entails. Vox, in turn, prioritises the fulfilment of items already approved. On the current state of affairs, whether this can lead to a viable agreement on the 2027 budget depends on resolving the outstanding issues from the 2026 budget year and reaching agreement on how to handle the Zona de Bajas Emisiones.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).