Thomas Alva Edison said that experience always proves something and Alfonso Fernández Mañueco (PP) He has made it clear that his almost seven years at the head of the Junta de Castilla y León have toughened him up enough to measure up to his adversaries, Carlos Martínez (PSOE) and Carlos Pollán (Vox)and emerge victorious from controversial issues such as fires or health in the second debate of the regional elections.
The confrontation began at 9:00 p.m. on CyLTV – although it could also be seen on Salamanca24horas as it was part of the commission. Carlos Pollán has been the first to speak out to attack the PP and the PSOE and their agreement to promote “mass immigration.” Carlos Martínez has reiterated his desire for Castilla y León to be a “land of welcome”, while Mañueco has shown pride “in what we are and what we have achieved together.” Once the presentations have been made, the bulk of the debate has begun with the four thematic blocks.
Environment, rural environment and depopulation
The first of the four thematic blocks has revolved around the rural environment, depopulation and the environment in the community with the largest forest mass in Spain. Carlos Martínez has taken the opportunity to attack Mañueco again for the fires that devastated Castilla y León last summer: “It is the tip of the iceberg of inefficient management.
Mañueco has regretted that the socialist candidate wants to “scratch votes with a tragedy” and has criticized that his party, together with Vox, overturned several decree laws with which the Board wanted to reinforce the anti-fire operation. He has promised “more brigades, technological means and heavy machinery” and noted that since he came to power this operation has increased: “In 2024 it worked perfectly because there was no major fire.” Regarding those in 2025, he has maintained that despite being more than three hundred, they went out “in just three weeks” and that aid is reaching those affected.
Mercosur and depopulation They have also filled the minutes that the candidates have allocated to this block. Martínez has denounced that depopulation is “one of our biggest problems” and that, therefore, a different territorial model is needed. The president of the Board has counterattacked by recalling the measures regarding transport or housing that the regional government has carried out until there are “40,000 more people living in Castilla y León.”
Public services, infrastructure and housing
Much of the second block has revolved around the Healththe “Achilles heel of Mañueco’s management”, according to Carlos Martínez, who has pointed out that 5,000 nurses are missing and that 600 are exported every year. Pollán has added ‘fuel to the fire’, alluding to the existing waiting lists in the community and the “1,300 doctor positions that are not covered.” The aforementioned has responded that Castilla y León needs more doctors, “the responsibility of the Minister of Health.” Even so, the community has “one of the best ratios of Medicine and Nursing” in the country.
Pollán has also taken advantage of the public services, infrastructure and housing block to talk about the immigration and unaccompanied minors, reminding Mañueco that he breached the government pact that Vox and PP had. “5.2 million are spent on immigration and access to employment. Citizens are leading the way with massive regularization,” he added.
Economy and regional financing
Alfonso Fernández Mañueco has recalled that the regional financing It is “indispensable” to pay for transportation and housing, not to pay “the debts of the separatists who support the Government.” Carlos Pollán has criticized these statements and asked him how many times the PP has agreed with the separatists “against Castilla y León”: “Feijóo sat down the other day with the PNV. They don’t give them the same decalogues as us.”
Martínez, for his part, has pointed out that since Mañueco has been president of the Board the debt has increased by more than 2,000 million euros. “It is lower than the national average. We have a very dynamic economy. The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has grown by 13% in 2025,” replied the popular candidate.
Once the issue of regional financing has been settled, Carlos Pollán has returned to recover the issue of immigration: “Immigrants are 8.8% of the population, but they represent 17% of the recipients of the minimum vital income. They saturate our public services.” “I wish we had more people. The problem is that there aren’t any,” responded Carlos Martínez. Meanwhile, Mañueco has defended “regular and orderly immigration.”
Pacts and democratic regeneration
Carlos Pollán has indicated that his party will have “zero tolerance for corruption and clientelism”; Martínez has reiterated the PSOE’s firewall with the extreme right, especially due to its negative conception of immigration; while Mañueco has communicated his aspiration to govern alone to function more effectively. Even so, he will dialogue with other parties if the citizens so decide, but “never with socialism.”
