Overview
- The Don Benito municipal plenary voted unanimously on June 30 to close the fusion process and declare the suspension of any administrative or political steps toward merging with Villanueva de la Serena.
- The approved motion annuls obligations tied to the merger and instructs the town to notify the Ministry of Territorial Policy, the Junta de Extremadura, the Diputación de Badajoz and the Villanueva de la Serena council.
- PSOE councillors supported the closure while defending the 20 February 2022 referendum as legitimate, a position that reflects a shift in priorities ahead of next year’s municipal elections.
- Don Benito said it will pursue joint projects through the Mancomunidad Integral de Servicios Don Benito-Villanueva rather than an administrative union, a move aimed at keeping shared services while avoiding a single municipality.
- Supporters had argued the merger would create a 60,000‑plus city with measurable economic gains according to a Universidad de Extremadura study, but opponents cited low turnout, procedural flaws and lasting social division as reasons to stop the plan.