Antonia Moreno, Antonio Zapata, and Carolina Gracia appear in an archival image from 2015, captioned for information purposes.
Antonio Zapata persists in pushing his bid to become mayor, aligning with PSOE in Orihuela as an alternative to the slate favored by the party’s federal leadership, which prefers incumbents to be re-nominated. In this context, the local party’s rules set the stage for Carolina Gracia to top the list after the mayor faced a motion of no confidence she had opposed since last April, with Cs and Cambiemos urging the ouster of the PP from the city government. The shift reflects ongoing pressure within the party, backed by the provincial PSPV leadership, and marks a clash with the official stance of the Generalitat’s president, Ximo Puig. This intra-party dynamic has drawn public scrutiny, with a critical debate unfolding yesterday afternoon as representatives from opposing factions in Orihuela met without reaching an agreement. The discussions highlighted a rare openness to primaries in the socialist bastion, a deviation from the party’s usual approach in other municipalities.
In the background, Zapata’s ally within the Orihuela group, which numbers more than 260 militants, commands significant support that could tip the scales in his favor. He sought to counter statements attributed to Antonia Moreno, the Valencia Government delegate in the province, who indicated that Gracia would be the sole viable option, subject to the party’s discipline. While the matter remains under federal jurisdiction, a majority coalition of militants plus endorsements could propel an alternative candidacy forward if it clears the necessary threshold before the submission deadline at noon today. Moreno, who had publicly supported Gracia, also occupies a key leadership role within the party as a Consell delegate, and his position complicates the calculus as he weighs his options in light of his corporate responsibilities.
Ferraz’s broader stance appeared to be shifting toward maintaining current mayoral candidates in several municipalities, including Elche, Orihuela, Alcoy, and Elda, without resorting to primary elections. Late yesterday, local administrators explained that a unanimous decision had been taken to back Carolina Gracia as the mayoral figure, presenting her as a benchmark for Orihuela’s socialist continuity during the four months she would carry out her duties. This gesture from Orihuela’s party leadership is seen as a display of authority, possibly influenced by Zapata’s assertive position, and comes just a day after the leadership revealed a summary of the engagement’s outcome. Yet the party charter emphasizes that the final decision rests with the turnover of authority and the electorate’s will, setting a high bar for any candidate who hopes to prevail.
Within the internal ranks, Joaquin Hernandez’s victory as county secretary for the Orihuela faction was narrow, 120 votes to 105, signaling a competitive climate within the party. The composition of the local slate shifted in February when Toni Frances, aligned with the “ximista” faction, defeated Alejandro Soler by 134 votes to 88, underscoring how swiftly alliances can realign in local socialist politics. The ongoing exchanges and the evolving leadership roles suggest that the province is a focal point for testing party unity, strategy, and the balance between regional interests and national directives. Observers note that the outcome in Orihuela could serve as a bellwether for alliance-building and the utilization of party mechanisms to resolve disputes over candidacy and primaries. The situation is further complicated by the broader political ecosystem in the region, where provincial and national layers sometimes pull in different directions, creating a pendulum effect in leadership contests across municipalities.