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PCTE - PP-Vox coalition
NEWS
PCTE against PP-Vox coalition policies

PCTE Condemns PP–Vox Coalition Agreement in Castile and León

The Communist Party of the Workers of Spain (PCTE) has strongly criticized the new governing agreement between the People's Party (PP) and Vox in the autonomous community of Castile and León, describing it as a program designed to deepen the exploitation of the working class while presenting itself under the banners of "freedom" and "rural development." According to the party, the agreement serves the interests of the bourgeoisie and seeks to strengthen capitalist policies at the expense of workers' rights and public services.

PCTE states that the coalition's labor policies will lead to greater insecurity and exploitation for workers. It points to measures aimed at tightening oversight of unemployed people and reducing benefits for those who reject job offers, claiming these policies will force workers to accept increasingly precarious employment. The party also criticizes proposals targeting absenteeism, arguing that they could undermine existing labor protections such as sick leave, paid leave, and trade union rights. It further rejects the agreement's emphasis on "national priority" in employment, describing it as an attempt to divide workers while employers continue to benefit from cheap labor.

A major focus of the party's criticism concerns public services. PCTE contends that references to efficiency, reducing waiting lists, and educational choice are intended to justify the transfer of public resources to private healthcare and education providers. It states that tax cuts and fiscal incentives proposed by the regional government will primarily benefit large landowners, wealthy individuals, and major property holders while contributing to the underfunding of public services relied upon by working people.

The statement also condemns the coalition's economic and agricultural policies, emphasising that so-called public-private partnerships amount to the transfer of public funds to large corporations and monopolies. PCTE says that the agreement prioritizes the interests of agribusiness and large distribution companies while accelerating the decline of small farmers and family agriculture. It further criticizes the absence of stronger environmental protections, asserting that profit is being prioritized over sustainable development and the future of rural communities.

On social issues, the party accuses PP and Vox of promoting policies that undermine women's rights. It argues that measures intended to encourage higher birth rates are rooted in conservative social values that seek to reinforce traditional gender roles. PCTE also criticizes the replacement of the concept of gender-based violence with that of "intra-family violence," claiming that this minimizes the structural nature of violence against women. The statement further raises concerns about access to abortion services in Castile and León, describing existing barriers as evidence that reproductive rights remain difficult to exercise in practice.

The party devotes significant attention to the situation of young people, arguing that the agreement offers little to address youth unemployment, housing costs, or precarious working conditions. It criticizes the emphasis on entrepreneurship as benefiting only a small minority and claims that many young people continue to face a choice between insecure employment and emigration. According to PCTE, housing policies contained in the agreement will largely benefit landlords, financial institutions, and private companies rather than improving access to affordable housing for working-class families. It also argues that education and vocational training are being increasingly subordinated to the short-term needs of employers.

The statement additionally accuses the coalition of attempting to rehabilitate or normalize aspects of Spain's authoritarian past. It criticizes the use of the concept of "concord" or "reconciliation," arguing that it places those who fought for workers' rights on the same level as those who imposed the Franco dictatorship. PCTE claims that such narratives seek to erase the historical memory of the labor movement and weaken class consciousness among younger generations.

Finally, the party extends its criticism beyond the regional government to Spain's national political system. It argues that both the conservative opposition and the social-democratic parties governing at the national level ultimately manage the same capitalist system despite their differences in rhetoric. PCTE concludes by calling on workers throughout Castile and León to build an independent working-class opposition through trade unions, workplaces, and local communities, insisting that meaningful change can only come through organized class struggle rather than parliamentary politics alone.