Alicante’s forty delegates traveling to the PSOE Federal Congress in Seville, scheduled for November 29 to December 1, are shaping up as a carefully balanced team. The delegation is led by Alejandro Soler, the provincial secretary and president of the PSPV, who worked to assemble a slate that would represent every comarca and bring a strong slice of Elche’s leadership to the table. The second position on the list goes to Araceli Poblador, a member of the Congress, while José Antonio Amat, the provincial secretary for organization, sits third. All comarca secretaries are included except Fulgencio Cerdán, who heads the Alto y Medio Vinalopó area. The lineup includes Mayte García for Marina Baixa, Joaquín Hernández for Vega Baja, Baltasar Ortiz for l’Alacantí, Vicente Alberola for Baix Vinalopó, José Ramiro for Marina Alta, and Rafael Briet for l’Alcoià.
Top socialist mayors across the province also feature prominently in the Alicante expedition. Included are Rubén Alfaro of Elda, Isabel López of Xixona, Vicente Arques of l’Alfàs del Pi, Lázaro Azorín of Pinoso, Amparo Serrano of Callosa de Segura, Sergio Carrasco of Ibi, Toni Francés of Alcoy, Vicent Grimalt of Dénia, Fran Martínez of Novelda and José Manuel Nadal of Granja de Rocamora. The notable absence is Petrer’s Irene Navarro. Fulgencio Cerdán, who also serves as mayor of Villena, and Navarro both cite agenda demands in their towns to justify their non-attendance. On Soler’s side, Yolanda Seva and Raquel Marín, provincial deputies, accompany the delegation, along with Senator Ana Martín and councilor Sandra Martínez. The list also features former high-ranking figures from the Botànic era, Zulima Pérez and Toñi Serna.
The process of selecting Alicante’s representatives, the province’s most populous and long plagued by internal tensions, has been one of the most intricate in recent memory. The aim has been to ensure a fair balance that mirrors the provincial mosaic. The slate includes voices from different factions, highlighted by the presence of Maria José Adsuar and Eva Montesinos. Ana Barceló, the municipal spokeswoman, also secures a seat. Veteran leader Ángel Franco does not appear on the list, having ceded a slot to Francisco Fenollar, who is being positioned to take the role of Organization Secretary in Alicante. Representing the ex-senator cohort are Lola Vílchez and Ana Ramos. Rounding out the roster are Héctor Díez (Elche), Jordi Martínez (Alcoy), Bárbara Soler (Torrevieja), Ana Belén Juárez (Los Montesinos), Carolina Gracia (Orihuela), Tarik Berrakkad (La Vila Joiosa), Cristina Escoda (Benidorm), Antonio Cachinero (Mutxamel) and Carmen Pastor (Sax).
While Soler will head the Alicante delegation, the Valencia group is led by Diana Morant, the PSPV general secretary, and Castellón by Ximo Puig, the former president of the Generalitat. The three head-list candidates have been officially proclaimed by the National Ethics and Guarantees Commission. The Valencian socialists will arrive at the congress with 116 delegates. Soler, Morant and Puig have secured the maximum number of endorsements allowed to guide their provinces to the forthcoming congress. Soler commented that the list arose from consensus and stressed that the moment is about ideas and reinforcing the party’s ideological backbone to keep delivering solutions to the challenges facing the country.