CItizens of Elche have faced weeks of mounting uncertainty following a pivotal decision announced during the ordinary general assembly on February 27. Eva Crisol stepped away after being expelled from Ciudadanos, a move that left her minutes and role in question. She had held the second-place position within the party, and her departure left Eduardo Garcia-Ontiveros, the mayor from four years prior who is now contending with the 28M elections, along with the party’s municipal group, facing an unusual void. The lingering question is whether the minutes for this period will ever be submitted, especially since, as of Monday morning, the person who led the four-year slate had not provided them, leaving a gap of three weeks.
Eva Crisol announces her departure from her minutes as a member of the C’s council in Elche
In truth, Crisol is no longer the familiar face of Ciudadanos. A sense of momentum lingers as two months remain until the municipal elections core date, and the political landscape in Elche seems poised for shifts that could redefine leadership dynamics in the council.
While Eva Crisol steps down as mayor, García-Ontiveros compiles the Citizens list in Elche
There is more to unfold: although Crisol’s continuation as mayor cannot be outright ruled out, the independents group, where her former floor mate Eduardo García-Ontiveros has spent nearly four years, hints at potential changes at upcoming plenary sessions. Previously, García-Ontiveros was expelled from Cs and formed a non-member group. There is speculation that after Crisol’s later re-admission to Cs, the possibility exists Crisol, who has left Ciudadanos, may opt not to relinquish her position as councilor, choosing the unaffiliated seat instead.
According to Cs sources, Crisol and the current political establishment were informed last week that she had left the party. In principle, the Cs municipal group spokesperson may soon transition from Crisol to García-Ontiveros.
What remains certain is that García-Ontiveros still appears to be affected by the crisis, as long as he remains part of the Cs group in the City Council. Until he formally leaves, he effectively controls the group, retaining the spokesperson role and retaining the ability to block or approve council decisions that might be proposed by García-Ontiveros’s team.
“Citizens didn’t request a report from me either,” Crisol commented on Monday, having turned over the office keys last week, including the tablet and business phone used during her mayoralty and the Cs group responsibilities in the city hall.
Regarding the delivery of parliamentary minutes, Crisol offered only a cautious hint that “things should be settled,” emphasizing that she has no intention of returning to politics. “I will not continue in politics in any way, nor will I join any other party’s list.”
The dour conclusion for Ciudadanos in Elche
Eva Crisol insists she is not impeding anything, not blocking projects for Cs or the City Council, and notes that her former party did not inform the City Council secretary that she was no longer an affiliate. The future of the municipal Cs group, she stresses, does not rest in her hands.
García-Ontiveros counters that the Cs group operates in a normal fashion, contributing to proposals and focusing on serving the citizens. He frames the rest as mere background noise.
Meanwhile, sources close to Crisol recount that after Crisol’s departure was announced, the City Council briefly removed the group’s notices, and third parties allegedly tried to block supporters on social networks and even removed Crisol from the municipal website. Those moves were later reversed, as Crisol remained a councilor.
The councilor asserts his intention to fulfill the term and notes that, as mayor, he plans to know the composition of the councilors and who will join the municipal list by mid-April.
Asked about any challenges in building this list, García-Ontiveros described an opposite experience, saying he found capable people and even former Cs members who signaled a willingness to participate again.
Eduardo García-Ontiveros recalls that, regardless of the party’s current status in Elche or the roster’s composition, Cs remains a central project. He predicts that Ciudadanos could become a defining force for Elche, arguing that without Cs, extremes on either side could prevail. He insists Cs is the only political option capable of countering those extremes for the city’s future.