Some must enter, others must depart. The mayor of Alicante and a candidate for re-election for the municipal elections on May 28, Luis Barcala, continues shaping his slate as the polls approach. After publicly welcoming the independent appointment of the CEO of CF Intercity and chair of the Lucentum Foundation on Wednesday, Barcala repeated the move on Thursday with architect Rocío Gómez and journalist Ana Poquet, both independent figures slated for the third and fifth spots on the list.
Barcala has already signaled that two current Popular councilors will not appear on the municipal list for May 28. Neither will continue in the teams focused on Social Action and Education. Julia Llopis has not been in the center of recent debates despite leading in social initiatives, and she has not stood out as one of the council members with the most responsibilities in the current dual administration. José Ramón González, who oversees areas such as Safety, Mobility, and Human Resources, confirmed this at the City Council Health and Safety Committee meeting.
Llopis was one of Barcala’s star signings four years ago. She served as president of the National Confederation of Catholic Parents and Student Families (Concapa) in Alicante and secured third place in Barcala’s nomination through a vote by a former Podemos member. Before joining the PP in 2019, Llopis had negotiated for a seat in Congress to be part of the Vox roster.
Throughout this period, Barcala faced numerous conflicts, yet Llopis completed four years in the Social Action and Education administration. The tension within many social groups during the pandemic was so intense that Barcala had to reallocate control of the Regional Board of the Northern Territory, transferring it to his ally Antonio Peral. Recently, Barcala participated in a council-driven mass action aimed at healing frictions with the city’s social sector, yet the outcome did not garner support for Llopis’s administration.
Barcala announced two new signings: architect Rocío Gómez and journalist Ana Poquet.
The current Councilor for Mobility, Security and Human Resources will also not continue in Barcala’s team, preparing to step back as he approaches his 68th birthday after three terms in the City Council. His departure marks a shift as the left and the quintet oppose the administration from the outside. In the early years, González Barcala trusted the man who opened many doors for him in city buses. The dynamic led to his decline, with a drop to tenth place in the 2019 list, though he was later placed at number eight. González will now leave Alicante City Council after five years in government.
The exits of Llopis and González were announced on the same day Barcala confirmed two new signatures for Alicante’s municipal elections on May 28. Architect Rocío Gómez and journalist Main Poquet will occupy the third and fifth weights on the PP list. The announcements followed confirmation that the two new signings were made as independents by Toni Gallego, CEO of CF Intercity and chair of the Lucentum Foundation.
Rocío Gómez’s signing signals a commitment to youth. The 30-year-old graduate of the Architecture Department at the University of Alicante represents a generation ready to drive Alicante’s transformation into the city residents want. Barcala framed Gómez’s entry as a step toward inclusive leadership and a shared project for all residents, a message he conveyed in a video recorded in front of the Co-Cathedral of San Nicolás. Poquet’s entry mirrored this approach, with the candidate strolling through the historic parts of town as part of the announcement tour.
Main Poquet is a journalist focused on audiovisual information and a UCAM graduate. He has served on the board of the Alicante State Press Association for over a decade and as its vice president in the last four years. His work spans news media and cultural and social areas in Alicante, and he was included in the press release announcing his addition to the list.
Names such as Cristina Cutanda, a current adviser to the PP in the City Council, and Christina Garcia appeared in discussions about potential starting positions. Sources close to the party suggested that additional high-profile signings could surface, including other current advisers and local coordinators of the PP. Even with confirmed names, unexpected changes or withdrawals remain possible in the tense lead-up to the election.