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June 21
Now that the elections are over and we have a new coalition council formed by PP and VOX, will things change for the better for this great town of Orihuela Costa? Only time will tell!
And true to form just like other PP mayors, no sooner than Pepe Vegara was inaugurated as mayor, he broke one of his electoral promises, that Orihuela Costa would be managed by a resident with their own budget. Instead it was handed to Vox, hence the expression ‘a leopard can’t change its spots’. But the key points that should be worth noting are, the party for the independence of Orihuela Costa (PIOC) won the battle for the coast; no other party came close, therefore, we have laid a great foundation for 2027 and have four years of hard work and preparation ahead of us. How long will our new mayor remain in office with a seven-year jail sentence hanging over his head? (This sentence) has been requested by the public prosecution for his ITV business allegedly defrauding the tax department out of 900,000 euros, it is reported by the Spanish media.
We have four Vox councillors within the coalition. For those who are not aware, VOX is a far far right party, whose founders split from PP. Two of their founding manifestos are:
- A very strong anti-immigration stance
- A very unfriendly view about LGBT rights, of which there are many people living in Orihuela Costa.
These colourful brilliant people enrich the coast with their presence and make a massive contribution, like all of the 117 different nationalities who live here, making the coast a great place to live. (Vox councillor) General Manuel Mestre will take care of the newly created portfolio for Orihuela Costa, the responsibilities for international residents and beaches, and Gonzalo Montoya of Vox will be responsible for Culture and Tourism.
It is difficult to fathom/understand how a party with their strong ideologies can run the coast effectively when the overwhelming majority of residents are immigrants, expanding by approximately 2,000 new residents a year. It makes one wonder, does revenue come before a party’s core beliefs?
Benidorm may be the best-known holiday resort on the sunny Costa Blanca, but the British who want to settle permanently, do so a little further south, specifically in Orihuela Costa, which boasts 11 Blue Flag beaches, crystal clear waters, five great golf courses, etc.
In total, the municipality of Orihuela has a population of almost 80,000 inhabitants. Of these, 10,000+ are British, 12.7% of the total or one in eight. Which makes Orihuela Costa the capital of Spain for British expats, who are beginning to buy again.
Peter Houghton
Partido para la Independencia de Orihuela Costa (PIOC)
