• Covid.Guillermo Fernández Vara justifies the delay in vaccination because "he was not sure" of its effectiveness against Covid-19

Two days after his controversial statements that questioned the effect of vaccines against Covid, and in the middle of the third wave of the pandemic where his autonomous community leads by far the ranking of infections (1,220 cases per 100,000 inhabitants according to the latest official data), Guillermo Fernández Vara announced this Saturday his candidacy for reelection as secretary general of the PSOE of

Extremadura

, a formation that he has led since 2008 when he took over from

Juan Carlos Rodríguez Ibarra.

The Extremaduran baron did it by surprise and within the framework of the Regional Committee of the

PSOE

of this community, which was held telematically with the participation of about 200 representatives.

With this proclamation,

Fernández Vara

wanted to give a 'fist on the table' after going through his worst moments in recent times at the head of the presidency of the Junta de Extremadura, which governs with an absolute majority.

His management of the crisis of the pandemic has aroused some internal criticism and certain movements to succeed him, but above all it has been strongly censured by some social groups, especially among the self-employed, hospitality professionals and local commerce for decreeing the closure of these business.

Also the regional government maintains a pulse with the Medical Union of the region, embroiled in controversial statements and strikes in the health sector in recent times.

The PSOE regional congress in

Extremadura

is scheduled to be held between December 2021 and February 2022 as long as the health alarm situation allows it, and after the Federal Congress is convened, which could be in October, as explained today the regional spokesman for this party, Juan Antonio González, who has clarified that Fernández Vara's decision to now communicate his decision to continue as leader of the Extremadura PSOE "is secondary."

As he has transferred in said committee, "all his courage, his strength and his energies are focused on trying to get out of the complicated situation" that he suffers in Extremadura due to the coronavirus.

Fernández Vara has led the Extremadura Socialists since July 2008, when he succeeded Juan Carlos Rodríguez Ibarra in office.

Later he was re-elected in 2012 and in 2017 (this one by the Primary process), so he aspires to face his fourth consecutive term as head of the PSOE in Extremadura.

Since this legislature began, the possibility that the Extremaduran baron would not continue to lead the PSOE when his term ended and would not repeat as a candidate in the next elections, a question that he himself questioned in some demonstrations, although later the has been qualifying.

As a result of that moment, some regional leaders appeared on the scene who intended to succeed him if he finally took a step back.

Specifically, names have emerged such as the President of the Badajoz Provincial Council and Mayor of Villanueva,

Miguel Ángel Gallardo

, the Minister of Health,

José María Vergeles

, or the First Vice President and Minister of Finance and Public Administration,

Pilar Blanco Morales.

With this movement, Fernández Vara has wanted to stop any type of speculation about his future, always also tempted with an appointment in some socialist governments in Moncloa as 'ministerable'.

The socialist baron went from being one of the most critical of Pedro Sánchez in his first stage to later - when the now president of the Government reached the general secretary - to remain silent in most cases - or even to support ( unlike other barons) the government management that is being carried out in Moncloa.

LIMITATION OF MANDATES

On October 10, 2019, the PSOE carried out, with the absolute majority of its 34 deputies and the rejection of the opposition en bloc, a bill that abolished the limitation to two legislatures of the mandate of the president of the Board promoted by the PP Government in 2014 (the PSOE then abstained from voting), with which Fernández Vara could opt for a new re-election in the next elections.

The Extremaduran baron lost to José Antonio Monago in the 2011 elections, the only time that the Socialists have not ruled in this autonomous community.

The Plenary of the Assembly thus gave the green light to this initiative of the Socialist Group - with the vote against PP, Ciudadanos and

Unidas Por Extremadura

- by the single reading procedure, without the possibility of submitting amendments, which was highly criticized by the opposition.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • PSOE

  • PP

  • Pedro Sanchez

  • Jose Antonio Monago

  • Guillermo Fernandez Vara

  • Estremadura

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