Pachi Pascual returns to the public stage in San Vicente del Raspeig, stepping back into the political spotlight as the figure behind the Popular Party list for the upcoming municipal elections. A former leader whose party surged past rivals in 2019, Pascual is poised to guide the PP’s campaign once again in May 2023. After resigning from the council and parting ways with the liberal coalition, Pascual appears set to reclaim a central role in local politics, with observers noting his potential to steer the PP’s path in San Vicente. [Citation: Local press]
This move formalizes Pascual’s bid to regain the leadership of a council that has experienced notable shifts since 2015. Pascual left the PP in September 2018, months before the election, resigned from the council two months later, and subsequently led the liberal coalition in the 2019 elections alongside Cs, where five mayors were elected—one more than the PP. Now, after another resignation last month, he seems ready to close the door on the PP’s followers and push to reunite center-right voters in San Vicente’s political landscape. [Citation: Local press]
In statements to local outlets, the possibility of continuing in politics was acknowledged, alongside a compelling center-right project. The hesitation within the PP regarding current leadership and the popular reluctance to repeat the same candidate drove the conversation toward a fresh alignment, culminating in Pascual’s return and a concerted effort to unite the center-right vote in Saint Vincent. [Citation: Local press]
Pascual’s exit from Cs signaled a broader fragmentation within the liberal group. Shortly after the departure, two more councilors with high profile positions left the party. Following the general assembly where the resignation of the spokesperson was announced, Mariela Torregrosa and Ricardo Bernabeu submitted their notices, choosing to move forward with the liberal faction alongside the former Cs leadership. Torregrosa, who now serves as the PP’s mayor, did not rule out returning to the Popular ranks, a path aligned with Pascual’s leadership if the candidacy succeeds. [Citation: Local press]
Pascual’s departure from Cs underscored a growing sense of disillusionment with the party leadership’s direction in recent months. He remarked that many decisions within the party had alienated supporters of the Ciudadanos project, a sentiment shared by voters who had previously backed the party as an alternative to the established blocs. The evolving dynamic included discussions about alliances with other center-right forces and a redefinition of the local political landscape. [Citation: Local press]
For fifteen years, Pascual served as a prominent figure in the PP, holding office from 2003 to 2018 under the administration of Luisa Pastor and even acting as local secretary. His tenure left a lasting imprint on the party’s local strategy. His move to Cs created a void and helped Cs rise to become the second most voted force in 2019, only behind the PSOE and ahead of the PP. The combined tally of Cs with five mayors, PP with four, and Vox with two fell short of the 13-seat majority, preventing a ruling coalition. During that period, Pascual emerged as the principal opposition voice to the socialist administration led by Jesús Villar. [Citation: Local press]