The municipal council of Vigo has passed a motion urging the Diputación de Pontevedra to allocate 10 million euros for an agreement with the city, as well as to guarantee the same funding in the 2027 budget and future provincial accounts. The motion received support from the Socialist Party (PSOE) and the Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG), while two representatives from the People's Party (PP) opposed it.
During the ordinary council meeting, the mayor, Abel Caballero, highlighted the need for the provincial government to increase its annual financial contribution to Vigo from 5 to 10 million euros for various infrastructure projects. He noted that under the leadership of former deputy mayor Carmela Silva, the provincial council consistently met its financial commitments without debate, contrasting this with the current PP administration's reluctance to provide necessary funding.
Caballero questioned the rationale behind proposed changes to existing agreements, which had been upheld for two years by both local and provincial authorities, and previously for eight years under Silva's presidency. He expressed concern that the changes were motivated by a refusal to pay for essential works in the city.
In the debate, Carlos López Font, the spokesperson for the PSOE, emphasised Silva's commitment to equitable treatment of all municipalities in Pontevedra, accusing the current administration of being discretionary in its approach. He argued against altering the content of the agreements and held the PP spokesperson responsible for the impasse with the Vigo council.
The council also approved a request for the Diputación de Pontevedra to contribute 20 million euros to the IFEVI (Instituto Ferial de Vigo), a fairground and exhibition centre. The motion was passed with 22 votes in favour from the PSOE and BNG, and 5 against from the PP. López Font asserted that public administration involvement in the IFEVI must be matched by appropriate financial support, given that both the Xunta de Galicia (Galician government) and the Vigo council have already made significant contributions to its establishment and development.
