Almeida-Villacís, a coexistence of balances until the elections

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An official City Council car parks next to one of the entrances to the San Blas Digital Campus.

The mayor of Madrid,

, whose name appears on the authorities' poster, travels on it.

Minutes later, the scene repeats itself.

Only that the vice mayor,

, gets off from another official car .

She, the mayor and

, Minister of Economy, Finance and Employment of the Community of Madrid, inaugurated the new innovation and technology center together.

During the almost four years of the legislature, the Almeida and Villacís agendas have converged in common acts a thousand times.

And a few more will still do so between now and the municipal elections.

But now, with that electoral perspective, the matter looks different.

Despite the fact that the vice mayor still has to pass the Ciudadanos primaries, the logical thing is that she ends up becoming one of the candidates to occupy the main seat of the Palacio de Cibeles.

That is, that she goes from partner to rival.

A role change that, for many, began weeks ago.

And it will also do so after the name of Begoña has passed from mouth to mouth through the corridors of Genoa.

The idea that the vice mayor could have been a companion (and one less problem) has been planned in the environment for weeks, despite the resounding slam of that possibility from

.

The fact is that, as it happened yesterday, as it will happen today, she and the mayor share an agenda and focuses, despite the rivalry that appears on the horizon.

A novel situation in the Consistory due to the drawing of the Municipal Government, which does not respond to a simple whim of chance.

The cabinets of both teams meet days before each week starts to announce the events they plan to attend.

And that can lead to their faces seeing each other a lot or, as has also happened, their eyes barely meeting.

Logically, there are circumstances that can change that roadmap.

Without going any further, a week ago the vice mayor planned to inaugurate the bust of Luis Aragonés together with Almeida.

The snapshot was frustrated at the last minute, minutes after Villacís starred in that press conference in which he announced that he was running for the Ciudadanos primaries to run for mayor of Madrid.

"An intelligent coexistence"

For two months, each on one side, both will continue to have that extra focus that comes from being the two most illustrious faces of the City Council.

Because as of April 5, the inauguration acts and institutional propaganda campaigns, such as the launch of the San Blas Digital Campus yesterday, are prohibited due to the proximity of the May 28 elections.

The normal thing is that both want to drop by those most attractive municipal shows in the capital.

Although, as they point out, the showcases are defined by the areas that each one represents and by the issues closest to each one.

«In these acts only the benefit of the municipal government is seen.

Although as the elections get closer...», they suggest from the corridors of Cibeles.

The agendas, of course, will vary depending on these campaign events.

What will not change is that, even if they come together in the same place, each one will always go their own way.

Because until now, in the Madrid City Council it was the mayor who had that extra sparkle that an office in the City Council grants.

Since 2019, there are two, and with different colors, who have the privilege.

«It must be an intelligent coexistence, since there is something above the parties that is the municipal government.

That is the first thing”, they point out from the orange formation, where they do not rule out that things could change on the way to the 28-M elections.

And they add: «The intention is that the government and the electoral campaign do not intermingle, but...».

There will be no problem to appear in the photo, because both, as heads of the Consistory, can share the snapshot.

This is what will happen today, at the doors of the Casa Lucio restaurant, to inaugurate the plaque for the 90th anniversary of the well-known restaurateur.

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