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"Is the mayor here?" Torrejón de Ardoz is one of those municipalities in which the neighbors still go to the Consistory to ask for the alderman. The security guard is dispatching them and assures them that it is not the best day to visit him because the mayor finished late on Sunday after the recount of the 28-M elections.

In this municipality of the Corredor del Henares, Ignacio Vázquez Casavilla is simply Nacho. This is how it appears on all the posters that paper this town in the east of the Madrid region and that is what the inhabitants of the town call it.

"Yes, Nacho. It is very close. We are happy with him because he is a good person. He does a lot for the people and is very attentive to people," says María Rosa Quintero while petting her dog in the Plaza Mayor of Torrejón.

"He behaves very well with people and we have the best Christmas in Spain. Not Vigo or anything," argues Juan, another resident of the city.

Nacho is the mayor with the highest percentage of votes in the Community of Madrid and one of the most voted in Spain. The first popular mayor won 21 seats on Sunday by taking 66% of the ballots, a long way from the PSOE, which only obtained 16% of the votes.

This improved by almost 10 points the results of the 2019 elections, when the popular won 57% of the votes.

Undoubtedly, he is one of the rising values of the PP in the region and, during the electoral campaign, the opposition has accused him of having the intention of making the leap to the regional government of Isabel Díaz Ayuso, as already happened with the previous mayor of Torrejón. Pedro Rollán resigned as councilor in 2015 when he was appointed Minister of Transport by Cristina Cifuentes.

Europa Park and Oasiz

However, Nacho, 46, declares that he wants to fulfill his commitment. "The person is important, but the project transcends faces," he adds in conversation with GRAN MADRID. At the moment, he will have to reconcile his position as mayor with that of regional deputy, something that he considers positive for both the Assembly and the local administration.

In any case, he downplays his good electoral data in this municipality of 133,377 inhabitants. "It's still anecdotal. The important thing is to have a solid government that attracts large projects for the city, "he says from the City Council.

Because, precisely, these great initiatives are what have placed Torrejón on the map of the Community of Madrid and have made it one of the most dynamic towns in the whole country. First, with the creation in 2007 of the Europa Park, a green area with reproductions of the most emblematic European monuments and which has become a major tourist attraction.

And, then, with the Christmas of Torrejón, another place of pilgrimage for Madrid families during the month of December. "In 2007, we started with the idea of giving an illusion to children, who before always had to go to Cortylandia, and in 2017, we created the pyramid of lights and sound. Now, we have become a benchmark for family tourism," he says satisfied.

The arrival of the Oasiz shopping center – the largest outdoor shopping center in all of Spain – marked another milestone in the history of the municipality with 12 million visitors last year. This resort of 250,000 square meters brought a huge leisure offer, with a zip line of 135 meters long, wind tunnels and a luxury beach club with sandy beach, Balinese beds and disco.

To all this, now adds the new medium-sized Ikea that was installed last April in the Corridor Park and that has meant that visits to this shopping center increase by 30%.

Cross-sectional list

Another of the successes of the mayor of Torrejonense is that his candidacy is very diverse and incorporates members of civil society. For example, Miriam Gutiérrez, European boxing champion, was Councilor for Women during the last legislature and has returned to repeat in the lists.

Gutiérrez is part of the citizen platform Nos gusta Torrejón, along with the tenor José Antonio Moreno and the municipal policeman and athlete Juan José Crespo. All three are independent and have been part of the municipal government.

Because Nacho puts the accent on management and not on ideology. The mayor defends that in Torrejón there is no ideological management of resources, but pragmatic. "My candidacy transcends an acronym and puts in value a group of people who share the desire to help the population. It's a cross-cutting project," he argues.

What is clear is that the inhabitants appreciate him. "I did not vote for him, but Torrejón is very careful and has changed all the flowers. Although I would have preferred the Socialists to leave," explains Conchi.

José Antonio Fernández is a Galician businessman who works with the local City Council. He emphasizes that the mayor is very involved with youth and organizes festivals in summer, such as the Torrejón Summer Fest, which this year will bring Omar Montes, Alex Martini or Morad. "In times when people need joy, it is appreciated that there are mayors who look out for the people," he concludes.

  • Articles Ana del Barrio
  • Municipal Elections
  • Torrejón de Ardoz

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