The Colegio de Arquitectos de Madrid (Coam) announced on Monday it will hold new elections following more than a year of legal battles and internal disputes. The move comes after the previous electoral process in May 2025 ended in two conflicting declarations of victory and ongoing court cases.
The current decano en funciones, Sigfrido Herráez, confirmed the decision during a press appearance. He stated that these new elections will not include him, ending his political career at the institution. The decision to call fresh polls was made unanimously by the acting governing board, which includes the five previous deans of the organization.
According to the official statement, the board prioritized the institution over individual ambitions. The document argues that the focus must return to the collective voice of the members, ensuring the future of the college responds to the profession’s interests rather than personal conflicts.
In the 2025 elections, Herráez’s list, Todos Coam, received 1,216 votes, or 53.9% of the total, against 1,040 votes for Nexo Coam, led by Jesús San Vicente. The board claims this victory was marred by procedural issues. Specifically, the electoral board denied Herráez participation, arguing he was attempting to serve a third term in violation of the statutes, which limit terms to two.
Related: 5 Reasons Why Selling a House to a Cash Buyer Is a Good Idea
The legal fight that followed is complex. Herráez contested the denial through courts, which initially allowed him to run as a temporary measure. Later, that permission was revoked. Despite this, the judges then issued emergency orders to stop the proclamation of San Vicente as the winner, keeping the status of the election unresolved.
Waiting for judges
The situation reached a stalemate after the board rejected the claim that San Vicente was the rightful winner. While San Vicente performed a symbolic act of taking possession in June, the board maintains that the judicial process has not definitively resolved the legitimacy of either candidate.
The text notes that waiting for the Civil Administrative Court to rule could take a long time. By calling new elections now, the institution aims to avoid prolonged instability and reputational damage. The announcement signals a shift away from the protracted legal wrangling, though the underlying disputes are expected to continue in the courts.
While the board frames this as a return to democratic normalcy, the recent history suggests that judicial intervention remains the primary driver of institutional change. The focus now shifts to how the new leadership will handle the unresolved cases, which continue to cast a shadow over the architecture profession in the region.