The regulation recently adopted by Compromís to prepare municipal candidacies for the 2023 elections is stirring activity in several cities, including Alicante. Valencian leaders opened the door to a consensus list that can be negotiated in major municipalities, meaning that primaries may not be necessary to select candidates. In this new environment Moon Alacant, formerly Blok, whose most recognizable figure is the city spokesperson Natxo Bellido, chose to start a dialogue with the two other groups within the coalition Venture and Els Verds to work toward a united candidacy and thus avoid the need for separate ballots.
Last night Més Alacant called a council meeting to discuss and debate, among other things, the proposal to organize primaries for municipal elections. Under the new regulation, local groups may choose the method of configuration from the local list, deciding whether to activate a primary process or to negotiate a consensus list that will be approved later. Sixty-six percent of the votes cast at the Compromís assembly in Alicante were in favor.
Més and Initiative share first and second positions in the Alicante and Elche nominations
The Compromís approved regulation shapes the distribution of the first two slots in the Alicante ticket for Més and Initiative. However, the leaders and mayors of both formations in the city center, Natxo Bellido and Rafa Mas, did not yield the first and second places to each other in the next list. The rule mandates a mailing list that must reserve the first two spots for women, with at least one man and one woman and no two men occupying those top slots. Compromís currently holds two council seats in the City Council, held by Bellido and Mas. In 2019, a Venture representative ran and Sonia Tirado joined in the second position after resigning from her law practice to take up an appointment as Managing Director of Innovation. This enabled Mas to assume the position of released councillor.
Earlier, the playing field showed changes compared with 2019. At that time Més held a hegemonic role within Compromís in Alicante, and Bellido’s leadership was nearly uncontested. Since then, Venture’s ranks have grown significantly, according to educational resources. This growth could influence the weighting of candidates in the new primary scenario, where citizens will have a say beyond party membership, though it cannot be overlooked that primaries will be open to the broader electorate rather than limited to party members.
As of now, neither Bellido nor Mas has publicly declared an intention to lead the candidacy. They have not ruled out that possibility either. The question now is whether Initiative will accept Més’s proposal and whether an agreement can be reached to craft a consensus list. If Compromís does not expand its support or perform as well as in 2019, it remains uncertain who might end up excluded from the City Council.