The decision by the national leadership of the Canary Islands’ Popular Party (PP) to include two candidates from Vox as independents for the Senate has sparked discontent. The announcement has surfaced just before the upcoming elections in May 2023.
Vox councillor in Tenerife, Naim Yáñez Alonso, made headlines during a recent plenary session when he remarked that he felt more represented by a fellow Spaniard from León than by Luc André Diouf, the PSOE’s number two candidate for Congress, who was born in Senegal. His comment was aimed at responding to criticism over the inclusion of Vox members in the PP’s Senate lists from Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
Diouf, who became a Spanish citizen in 2001, has a challenging background, including having faced homelessness for over forty days in Las Palmas and a 2005 criminal conviction for a racially motivated assault. Since then, he has built a political career in the PSOE, focusing on migration and refugee policies.
In contrast, Francisco José García Paramio, who is of pure Spanish descent and one of the individuals supported by Vox, has a solid educational background and significant experience in various respected companies. He unsuccessfully ran for the Senate in León in 2023, advocating for national unity and measures against bureaucracy.
Alba Moreno Santa, another candidate for the PP’s Senate list from Gran Canaria with links to Vox, holds strong anti-abortion views and is currently dealing with new responsibilities as a councillor in Alcalá de Henares. She is now expected to balance her roles while representing the island.
Yáñez Alonso himself has faced controversy due to firing an employee who had taken leave for a high-risk pregnancy. Following a court ruling declaring the dismissal as discriminatory, he was reinstated but his reputation within Vox remains intact, having recently secured a third position on the party’s congressional list for Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
In short, the integration of these candidates into the PP underscores a significant shift within the party as it attempts to consolidate its power in the face of accusations of aligning with far-right elements, raising questions about their commitment to representing the diverse Canary Islands.
