What unfolded Tuesday looked like a bid for normalcy by the PSOE, after news broke late the previous night that Francesc Sanguino would resign as city spokesperson following intense meetings among Valencian Socialist leadership, Sanguino himself, former senator Ángel Franco, and Miguel Millana, the Alicante Socialists’ local secretary. Those sessions were tense as Sanguino pressed to step down not only as spokesman but also as a member of parliament, ultimately consenting to leave his top position within the municipal group. The objective for the party was clear: resolve the internal rift by removing Sanguino from the leadership role. Yet the city’s governing coalition, which includes Sanguino, the PP, and Cs, found the crisis far from settled, dragging the party into a protracted period of uncertainty for Alicante.
Throughout the day, party leaders debated how to address what they called a specific crisis, one they believed could be resolved if Sanguino stepped aside as the head of the socialist municipal group and a transitional spokesman was chosen. This shift would grant more leverage to the person stepping into the role, whether it was deputy spokesperson Trini Amorós or the local PSOE secretary Miguel Millana, as they pondered who should lead the list. The more ambitious aim was to repair the structural issues facing the Socialists in Alicante, especially with an eye toward the municipal elections due next May. Names discussed for leading the slate included Ana Barceló, a Cortes treasurer, and Josefina Bueno, the Innovation minister, though no final decision would be public before summer.
Yet, less than a day after Sanguino agreed to resign as city spokesman, there was still no official confirmation, fueling a flood of speculation. The parties moved quickly at midday, with Sanguino requesting a quick approval of his plan, which triggered earlier actions the week before: the dismissal of councilors Trini Amorós and Miguel Millana, plus several advisers and company leaders tied to Ángel Franco. Despite a document signed on Monday by seven of the nine socialist councilors on Alicante City Council, the governing team needed four days to accept Sanguino’s request. Only Sanguino and the mayor who stood beside him, Lara López, objected, with municipal spokespeople labeling the moves as unilateral. The remaining factions waited for a new spokesperson and awaited further approvals.
Valencia’s leadership, meanwhile, clashed with the Alicante PSOE as Sanguino resigned to stabilize the situation. Amorós remained as deputy spokesperson, even though she had been among those the former leader had targeted for dismissal. In this setting, the spokesperson’s authority to act in the internal process required a unanimous request from the group, in line with the Organic Statutes of the General Assembly, a point explained by the officials who moved quickly to validate the changes.
In the official documents presented by Francesc Sanguino, proposals were put forward to replace the representatives appointed to the boards of companies under the Alicante City Council, including Mercicante and Aguas de Alicante. The plan also proposed convening the Teatro Principal’s Entities Community General Assembly under Sanguino’s supervision instead of Amorós and Millana. For the PSOE’s local secretary, the plan placed changes in Mercicante, while the deputy spokesperson would see shifts in the other two bodies.
One spokesperson noted that the only measure certain to be approved was the spokesperson’s own matter, since he had the authority to act. A decree authorizing the changes was signed, and by mid-afternoon the advisers tied to the Socialist Party were released from their posts. As for the rest, it was treated as an internal PSOE issue. The public message was to keep the focus on functioning for Alicante, even as the party faced upheaval at the national, regional, and local levels.
Against this backdrop, the parties sought calm and normalcy, steering away from further clashes within Francoist circles. Some public moments included a quiet afternoon visit to Albufereta beach, a reminder that the city’s day-to-day life presses on amid political drama. Yet the undercurrent of dispute remained palpable. Critics within the socialist ranks viewed the situation as a broader crisis, with some describing Franco and allied factions as a pressure cooker and others suggesting Sanguino himself might be a casualty of the broader internal struggle.
Alicante’s PSOE faces internal shakeups as Sanguino steps back to ease the crisis
Ultimately, the party’s leadership emphasized the need to stabilize the city’s governance while preparing for upcoming elections. The sequence of events reflected a broader struggle to balance internal unity with the demands of the electorate. In the days ahead, Alicante’s political circles would continue to watch closely who would lead the socialist slate and what changes would be finalized, all while the city’s administration pressed ahead with daily responsibilities and public services.