White smoke in vehicle PSPV. The leader of the Valencian socialists was elected yesterday José Muñoz as new ombudsman in Cortes. His appointment is no surprise, because his name has been a favorite since the moment the previous speaker, Rebeca Torró, and her deputy, Arcadi España, went to the Secretariats of State responsible for Industrial and Regional Policy; The horizon and exit leader does not cease to emphasize that the forecasts are met.
What was even more surprising was that the deputy ombudsman was appointed and the group chairmanship was vacant. First in line will be the former president of the Valencian State Council. Toni Gaspar, during Rosa PerisHe will become the new president of the group, replacing Ximo Puig, who was considered for this position. María José Salvador and José Chulvi They continue to serve as MPs for Castellón and Alicante. In addition, Mercedes Caballero He will be responsible for the province of Valencia, a post so far held by the person elected as the new ombudsman.
Muñoz was the first choice for this position due to his lines within the existing party structure and his closeness to the leadership. He has served as Organizing Secretary of the Valencian Federation since 2017, a position he reconfirmed at the last congress in 2021, and served more than two terms in the regional parliament, where he was Treasury spokesman. From this position he made accusations against Consell over the change in Budgets and Gambling law in recent months.
He will now be responsible for making the opposition’s voice heard and showing its face in the regional parliament and debating directly with the president of the Generalitat. Carlos Mazón, In control sessions. The next time won’t come until at least February because January is a non-working day in the room. By then, the congress that would replace Ximo Puig as president of the PSPV would be about to fall, as Puig had stated yesterday that the conclave in question would be held between the second and third month of the year.
For now, the administration yesterday approved the January 8 call of the national committee, the body responsible for determining the date and location of the extraordinary congress. The main options are the weekend of 24 and 25 February or 2 and 3 March and whether it is in the province of Castellón (the last two were in Alicante). Due to limited deadlines, negotiations were made with Ferraz for days.
“Impulse for the alternative”
Yesterday’s appointments also have an impact on this internal process. Muñoz assumes continuity in line with current leadership. Faced with other possibilities (in a group already in clear alignment with the party’s current leader), the new ombudsman has always been close to Puig, which could affect his continuity when the extraordinary congress is held. His future in office will be determined by the temporality of the party and any changes that may occur in its structures.
Gaspar is considered a person close to Carlos Fernández Bielsa, secretary general of the state of Valenica, as he was seen supporting the mayor of Mislata at the entrance of the national committee on Saturday. Administration sources said his appointment as deputy ombudsman was a nod to that sector “to get everyone involved.” “Very positive gestures to grow and unite the party”sources close to the state leader added.
More in line with the current administration is the election of Rosa Peris, the party’s deputy secretary for Equality since October, to head the group, a position Puig held after joining the opposition. The party leader justified her appointment by saying she would be the first woman to hold this position and with her experience in the feminist movement. There is also the promotion of Caballero, a leader linked to abalism, to head the province of Valencia, in a specific gesture towards the party’s remaining sensitivities.
“We will give new momentum to the alternative” Puig gave a statement to the media at the end of the execution. According to sources present at the meeting, inside there was a message similar to that of the national committee on Saturday: a farewell to the front and a call for the formation of a strong party focused on harmony and opposition. For this purpose, a meeting was held on January 10 with the participation of all corporate representatives of PSPV.
This “new impulse” will also lead to further changes within the group. In addition to assembling new parts (Benjamí Mompó, Pedro Ruiz and Xelo Angulo enter), parliamentary roles will be reshuffled with the replacement of some speakers. The aim is to harden the tone of voice, even if it is “polite”. Meanwhile, on another screen, the party will reveal its future, albeit by direct effect.
Former president gave up being a member of parliament: “End of a phase”
Ximo Puig is no longer an MP in the Cortes. PSPV general secretary yesterday submitted his resignation from his position as representative in the autonomous chamber. This is the first pragmatic result of the “step back” at the head of the federation administration, which was announced before the national committee last Saturday and will culminate in an extraordinary congress within three months. “This is the end of a stage,” the Valencian said after bidding farewell to the parliamentary official. It’s not the first time Puig has gone to Cortes’ registry to drop off his surrogate record.
He did this in 1986, three years after he was elected a member of parliament in the first parliament of the Valencian democracy to serve as private secretary to then-president Joan Lerma. He would later return in 1999 and spend twelve years in opposition until he was elected president of the Generalitat in 2015. However, although his earlier farewell ended up being “see you later”, yesterday seems to be the final farewell. “The time is right for the new generations,” said the person who is still the leader of PSPV. Puig is leaving his post in the Cortes, but not in the Senate. He even stated that he would continue to work in the Upper House “defending the same positions”. In this sense, he added that the Senate will talk about regional financing reform at its next plenary session. He will also chair the Budget Commission, the only socialist-led commission in this parliament.