The odds for Monica Oltra to run again as a Compromís candidate in the regional elections next May are narrowing. A scenario that once seemed speculative is now the prevailing expectation. With the legal deadlines still not aligning with political schedules and nearly seven months to the 2023 regional elections, the presiding judge of Valencia Court No. 15 has granted a six month extension to the investigation, potentially surpassing the limit set by law.
The judge who ordered the case into Oltra’s ministry for the alleged cover-up connected to the abuse of a minor by her former husband also moved to keep the minor under the Generalitat’s guardianship. The person involved, the witness, and her family have been part of the ongoing process.
The extension signals new obstacles for the former vice president in the judicial arena, making a fresh head start for her leadership of the coalition’s slate unlikely.
Earlier, the former Minister of Equality stepped away from the prosecutor’s office soon after the report endorsing his summons as a defendant by the Supreme Court of Justice.
Within Compromís this development adds to concerns about the absence of a Generalitat presidential candidate in 2015, a year that marked the strongest performance by the Valencian left with 19 MPs. By the time 2019 rolled around, the tally stood at 17.
The coalition’s leadership has already signaled that Joan Baldoví is casting a wide net, but Oltra’s faction, through Poble Valencià’s Initiative, resisted the idea that Baldoví would be the sole candidate for the citizen-open primaries needed to shape the coalition’s electoral list.
Critics from Oltra’s camp accuse Baldoví of not waiting for February, the coalition’s deadline to present potential candidates. Even the vice president, Aitana Mas, who has assumed many powers since Oltra’s departure, has not ruled out challenging Baldoví for the regional nomination.
judicial prudence
The move that could definitively remove Oltra from the candidacy hinges on the Valencia 15th Code of Criminal Procedure, details of which emerged this Friday.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office and the parties propose that they be heard in person to determine whether a six-month extension to the investigation is permissible under the law. The decision carries significant implications for the timing of the campaign and the composition of the regional slate.
Plan B would be to go to the generals
Oltra’s options to participate in district elections are further constrained by the judge’s proposal to extend the investigation by half a year. Yet the coalition has a built-in mechanism that could allow her to stay viable almost up to the statutory deadline to join the regional bid if the case progresses. If the case is closed before May, the Compromís executive would step in to decide whether to include her in the candidacy. A secondary path, had it arrived in time, would be to present the candidacy in the general elections scheduled for late 2023. This option remains in play should the legal process unfold later. From May through December 2023. C.ALÓS
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