Only one of the major PSPV-PSOE groupings arrives at the extraordinary Congress with clear divisions. The Valencian federation will hold the meeting from Friday to Sunday in Benicàssim, a town in Castellón, to officially inaugurate its new phase with Diana Morant at the helm. Judging by the long-standing lines of recent political life, the group that travels to the party’s conclave in a volatile mood seems to be the Alicante faction, where a Sunday assembly chose between two slates. Those slates reflect an internal split: one comprised of the so‑called “Franquistas” and “Sanchistas,” and the other led by Eva Montesinos, who serves as deputy secretary general and former councilor. She has aligned with the municipal spokesperson, Ana Barceló, and other notable Alicante socialist families, including those controlled by Fonseca and López Berruti, to consolidate the alternative camp. Attribution: internal party proceedings and regional coverage
In the rest of the Community of Valencia, division has occurred only once before, and it has been far less central to organizational life than Alicante’s split. The second flashpoint appeared in Camps de Túria, in what local media call the “rest assemblies.” These smaller groups pool their delegates, to reach the forty militancy threshold needed to secure a single delegate. In this comarca, the conflict arose over a slate backed by supporters of Valencia’s provincial secretary, Carlos Fernández Bielsa, which ultimately yielded to a slate built by Morant allies. Attribution: regional party dynamics and local coverage
Elche
Returning to the province, the Alicante rift contrasts with the rest of the groupings, where unity has prevailed. The provincial secretary of Alicante, Alejandro Soler, leads the Elche list, followed by the city councilor and provincial advisor, Gema Fos. The third name is the regional deputy Ramón Abad. The position of the regional representative stands in sharp relief from what has unfolded in Alicante, where the factions labeled “Franquistas” and “Sanchistas” have had to accommodate a broad coalition to assemble their list. This maneuver has pushed another regional deputy, Marisa Navarro, down to tenth place, a move not missed by socialist circles in the province. In Montesinos’ list, there was also a regional deputy, José Díaz, occupying the fourth slot, and among the camp there is speculation about his future prospects within the group unless pact dynamics constrain him. Attribution: internal party listings and provincial reactions
Beyond Alicante being the only area heading into the PSPV’s extraordinary Congress with real divisions, the frictions surrounding the delegate selection signal a potential shift in the balance for Alicante’s Socialists. Montesinos and Barceló want to seize that moment, forging a united front. They anticipated Franco’s victory in Sunday’s voting, which indeed occurred with 69 percent of ballots. Yet the 31 percent backing the critical faction provides leverage to claim that movement is stirring in Alicante and that the long-standing network managing the region may be challenged. “The grouping is alive, and a new era is possible,” Montesinos asserted. Attribution: post-vote statements and faction commentary
Cambio de rumbo
One of the key arguments raised by detractors who hope for a real reorientation within the party is that Franco’s slate could only surpass two-thirds of the votes by forming an alliance with the “Sanchistas,” led by María José Adsuar. These two camps have fought bitterly in recent years and now find themselves aligned against Montesinos, Barceló, and Fonseca. If the “Sanchistas” were to swing back and separate again, the odds of a true change movement advancing would improve. Attribution: factional analysis and public statements
That moment still requires time. The most immediate milestone is the forthcoming extraordinary Congress of the PSPV next week, when the province will be represented by 145 delegates, about one‑third of the total, drawn from roughly 6,000 party members across Alicante. Attribution: organizational plan and delegate counts