distribution of positions
The ongoing negotiation within Compromís centers on altering the rulebook that shapes how primaries are conducted as parties prepare electoral lists for large urban areas. The focus is on the cities of Alicante and Elche, where executives from Més, Initiative, and Els Verds debate whether to ease the path for pacts and reduce internal clashes in the race to secure placement on the lists. One side argues that loosening the primaries is essential to prevent internal feuds and to pave the way for stable agreements, while another faction insists that primaries remain a fundamental, non negotiable feature of the coalition. This debate extends beyond individual cities, influencing provincial calculations and the coalition’s overall strategy ahead of the next elections. The discussions are colored by the potential candidacy of Joan Ribó in Valencia, with major actors weighing how to allocate seats and manage internal power dynamics as they anticipate the 2023 electoral contest.
The executive of Compromís is scheduled to meet today to assess a possible revision of the primary protocol. A decision could clarify whether changes will be adopted or whether the existing system will endure, at least for the near term.
In the provincial capital, Natxo Bellido, who won the 2019 primaries and enjoys strong backing from the Militant base, is positioned to lead again at the Alicante City Council as the banner of Reconciliation. Bellido, a member of Més, the dominant force within the coalition, has not stated whether he will seek reelection. Rafael Mas, the council member and spokesperson, also left room for a potential bid to head the list. His party has seen its membership triple in Alicante, a growth viewed as a kind of organizational muscle that could prove decisive if polls reopen for electing a candidate. Whether a citizen open primary or another method prioritizing membership opinion will guide the process remains to be seen. Yet sources from both factions emphasize that as long as there is broad consensus, negotiations on lists outside the primaries are a plausible option to explore. This hinges on the broader discussion within Compromís about whether to modify the rules in the larger municipalities—Valencia, Alicante, Elche, and Castellón—where local assemblies may offer more room to negotiate compromise lists than the mandatory primaries used in past elections.
four acts in Cortes and three province actors
In Elche, councilor Ester Diez from Initiative signaled a desire to anchor Compromís’ electoral poster for the upcoming elections. The coalition currently holds two seats in the City Council, with representatives linked to Mónica Oltra’s party in both cases. The prior election distribution placed the top two names on the ticket with Initiative (Mireia Mollà and Antonio Díez), followed by the independent Felip Sánchez (Gent de Compromís), who had signed the contract. The sequence then had Esther Diez and a Mes representative in subsequent positions, with the first Mes slot occurring later. Mes notes that Elche’s membership count rivals that of Initiative and that the group aims to secure a stronger corporate voice in the next vote. Nevertheless, they stress waiting for the regulation to be adopted to evaluate all scenarios and decide. If Esther Diez leads the list and there is no internal deal, the outcome will depend on the threshold Compromís sets before militancy can press for primaries. The key lies in the negotiation among the three pillars of the coalition, essentially deciding whether to alter rules in major cities to allow more flexible list negotiations instead of forcing primaries, a pattern seen in the two previous cycles.
As the 2023 cycle approaches, the remaining uncertainty centers on whether a leftward consolidation is promoted in line with PSPV-PSOE support, a move openly discussed by major sectors of Unides Podem and Esquerra Unida. Recent polls from Ximo Puig’s party suggested a potential drop below a five percent threshold for certain left-leaning outfits, signaling potential exclusion from Cortes. The evolving landscape prompts careful strategy from Compromís and allied forces as they weigh coalition stability against the desire for broader, more negotiable lists.
four acts in Cortes and three province actors
The Compromís coalition currently runs four actions in Cortes and in the Consell, with elected representation from the Alicante constituency; three of the four Valencian ministers come from the national arena. How the re-election process for the 2023 campaign will be shaped remains to be seen, though there is no explicit plan to ease consensus lists or open primaries beyond what is negotiated for the largest municipalities. The question of whether the vice-presidency of the consulate will be weighed in internal surveys, and how much influence Economy, Rafa Air Conditioner and Environment, Mireia Mullah will exert if they seek another term, all loom as possible facets of the negotiating matrix. The outcome will reveal whether the alliance intends to maintain a seat in Valencia by repeating the current configuration or pursuing a revised distribution that better reflects local forces and the evolving political climate. This is the landscape in which Compromís maneuver, balancing internal unity with the pressure to adapt to municipal realities and voter sentiment as the May 2023 elections draw closer, keenly watching how left-leaning neighbors recalibrate their approaches within the broader regional framework, while aiming to preserve influence in the state’s regional capitals.