On a night when banners and displays shimmered with illusion and hope, countless selfies flooded the feeds as the crowd chased likes like a steady drizzle of manna. The crowd acted as if every vote were slipping into a local ballot box in Carrús or La Foia, while yesterday’s rain tore through many posters the dreamers had pinned to the Elche City Hall the morning before. Yet some simply took the disruption in stride, feeling a little more seen and morally steadier, realizing that the word key—though ancient—remains a practical tool to shape governance.
People are determined to win, but the contest is clear: Carlos González representing the PSOE and Pablo Ruz of the PP are the main contenders for the city’s leadership. It feels like a replay of four years ago, yet the city now bears the weight of two politicians who can’t stand each other and who seem to inhabit utterly different worlds. The question from the public is simple yet sharp: who will lead this place? Each side bets on a pool of voters whose confidence can swing the outcome. Some vote with the head, others from the heart.
party dinner
For another year, the Bus Station stood as the quiet witness to the fatigue of those who labored behind the scenes after the dinner. Political parties emerged from their quiet rooms with flags in hand, ready to participate in rituals that would never be forgotten. They will be remembered for what they stood at that moment, even if the ritual itself remains in memory rather than in frequency. Mayors checked the clock, and the night carried a touch of magic as the broomsticks prepared to sweep away any doubt from the faces, though only for this evening. They stood together, yet not as friends, protected by loyal aides who knew how the campaign could tilt. Soon, arguments would flare, and less friendly clashes would mark their positions. The platform promises would clash with the reality of policies, a debate that would unfold in a city that sits squarely at the intersection of contrasting visions. The battle would not only be about local projects but also about how people consume media—Netflix and HBO among the real adversaries of a restless society that seeks messages before it stands to vote.
Cycling
Support for the candidate Esther Diez came on the move, expressed in the simplest way—by bike. The message to rivals was crisp: 1-0. What would the nationalist candidate Isabel Pantoja say to puncture the confidence of the opponents? A procession of supporters arrived with noise and music, while others lingered to cloak the night and remind the public that politicians are always under scrutiny. The scene was captured and filed in the police bulletin as part of the ongoing narrative of the campaign.
Those present knew it was interview night, and the candidates did not leave their jackets at home. Some took a moment to breathe, while others kept moving, studying the map of the city at every intersection. There was Alejandro Soler—one of those unmistakable images of Carlos González plastering posters and clapping along. The gesture felt theatrical, yet it underscored the labor of holding hands and plastering walls with authorized posters, a job for campaign workers who should be in every party. It was the person who rides in a car with loudspeakers to tell citizens who not to vote, who can be a decisive factor in a crowded field.
Messages
PSOE embraced a governing-balance message on its posters, a refrain that would echo for days as the party defended the past eight years. The position seemed confident, the warranty substantial—what they have accomplished would be presented to voters as proof of value. Yet there was a caveat: if some do not agree, the œuvre is not limited. In total, the PSOE claimed up to 200 projects on offer to the voters. Carlos González published a message that was repeated hundreds of times, not shrinking from declaring the title of mayor boldly on the campaign materials, even if some feared the page might turn empty.
trust and illusion
Pablo Ruz clung to the idea of illusion and the longing for trust. The sentiment ran through the crowd because, after years under a leftist government, supporters hoped for a bit more steady footing in the first of the last two terms. A young team, with familiar faces, offered a sense of continuity. Many voters warmed to the approach, while others believed that results had not yet materialized. Either way, the campaign had only just begun.
In the end, the outcome remained uncertain. The dice had yet to roll in the council chamber. The public was urged to go vote and to refrain from complaints afterward, a reminder that participation is the driver of change and accountability.