Two factions within Alicante’s socialist movement have joined forces after years of friction. Supporters of former senator Angel Franco, the man who has led the PSOE group in Alicante for more than twenty years, and the “sanchistas” have bundled their efforts into a single list to elect delegates for the Extraordinary Congress that the PSPV will hold in Benicàssim, Castellón, from the 22nd to the 24th of this month. The goal is to decide the executive that will accompany Diana Morant as she begins her new leadership phase.
Skepticism surrounds this alliance between two camps that have been at odds and whose representatives have even shouted at each other in public. Spokespersons from both sides contend that the PSPV needs Morant to start her tenure with a unitary backing from all socialist groups, rather than internal squabbles. Franco’s and Sanchista voices insist they do not want a clash now to test their strength; they prefer to reserve significant showdowns for a later moment when Alicante’s leadership is due for renewal. A previous consensus executive, including the major strands of Alicante socialism, had already been agreed two years ago.
A new current has emerged, led by Ana Barceló from the municipal group. The spokesperson for Alicante City Hall has joined forces with the local PSOE’s vice-secretary Eva Montesinos and other factions, including the one led by Rafael Fonseca, to present an alternative slate ahead of the assembly on Sunday at the UGT venue. There, 23 delegates will be chosen to represent Alicante’s local group at the Extraordinary Congress.
Franco’s bloc stresses “integration and unity” as the guiding principle for Morant’s new phase, explaining that a joint list with the Sanchistas makes sense after years of back-and-forth clashes. Another argument highlights the gratitude shown by provincial secretaries Alejandro Soler of Alicante and Carlos Fernández Bielsa of Valencia, who stepped aside to clear the path for the minister. The narrative omits that this decision was ultimately driven by Ferraz following a Madrid meeting, after Soler and Bielsa had previously submitted candidacies for Morant’s primaries.
The Franco-led faction has also attempted to block Barceló and Montesinos from filing an alternative slate before the Thursday deadline. On that day, the party’s national secretary for Alicante and the city’s spokesperson were set to meet, yet Barceló and Montesinos are determined to pursue internal challenges to Franco’s faction. Their aim goes beyond the current vote, focusing on planting a seed for future leadership and filing a competing ticket that will face the official one in Sunday’s assembly.
Oportunidad de futuro
Despite the collaboration aimed at presenting Morant as a figure around whom some form of unity could crystallize, the rifts between the groups are evident. Critics of Franco still believe that once he ceases to influence Alicante’s party machinery, a real chance for the local socialist movement could emerge. One of the most vocal figures in this camp, former councilor Maria Jose Adsuar, who ran in primaries against Barceló for the municipal post last May, argues that a consensus list is urgently needed. She warns against unilateral candidacies or any display that could be interpreted as scorekeeping on delegates or photo opportunities.
Antonio Mira-Perceval Graells, another strong voice within the Sanchista bloc, echoes Adsuar’s sentiment. He advocates a single, non-disruptive list that avoids unnecessary clashes and argues that internal discord would do Morant no favors. The demand also includes Barceló participating actively in the party’s organizational life and ensuring that the municipal group remains fully engaged rather than sidelined.
Both Barceló and Montesinos remain firm about registering an alternative list on Thursday. They view the upcoming Congress as a chance to inaugurate a new era for the region’s socialists, a sentiment they extend to Alicante’s local group. They contend that presenting a slate distinct from the official one, led by Franco, does not jeopardize Morant’s broader consensus; instead, it is a chance to stimulate healthy debate within the party.
The assembly in Alicante, scheduled for Sunday, is positioned as a pivotal moment for the PSPV. The dialogue surrounding it underscored that twenty percent of valid votes represents the threshold needed for a list to secure delegates. If a list surpasses that minimum, delegates will be distributed proportionally among the competing slates. In Alicante, this means twenty-three delegates will be allocated to represent the group at the Extraordinary Congress.