They call themselves the “sanchistas,” yet their true ties to Ferraz have long centered on José Luis Ábalos, the former Transport Minister and former secretary of the PSOE’s Organization. Today, with Ábalos linked to the so-called Koldo case, many Spaniards who once aligned with him have distanced themselves after witnessing Valencian involvement in those controversies linked to pandemic procurement. The real glue that ever kept this Alicante socialist circle together was not admiration for a shared project but a shared stance: a stubborn rejection of Ángel Franco, the longtime senator who has controlled the local PSOE leadership for more than twenty years, shaping who leads and who steps aside. That history is evident in the social feeds. They were, indeed, anti-Francoists. They were, yes.
In recent times, however, the landscape has shifted dramatically. The group has branded its public face with former councilor María José Adsuar as its principal spokesperson, a figure who sought the mayoralty in 2023 and now appears poised to lead the party at least in the near future under the Ferraz-backed direction. The circle has not only lost its Madrid point of reference but has also swung toward Franco, negotiating with him with unusual openness that many followers once criticized in him. This pivot is evident as the group aligns with a different tenor while the old target of criticism remains a constant presence in discussions about the party’s future.
Sources close to the matter claim that the aim is to reach consensus and restore harmony. That unity is the aspiration driving the sanchistas to prevent the local congress of PSPV from becoming a fractured field. The councilors and delegates are eyeing a single candidacy as a path to stability, a move that would avoid the appearance of rival camps. Yet the likelihood of a single slate seems slim. Franco himself is pursuing a similar sense of accord to present his credentials before the reformulated PSPV led by Diana Morant, and the dynamics keep shifting as each faction tests the boundaries of cooperation and leverage.
This week a new moment arrives as the official deadline to present lists for the PSPV delegates approaches. A scheduled meeting between Miguel Millana and the municipal spokesperson could offer a significant signal, though expectations are cautious. The twist that could emerge is whether this dialogue yields actionable movement or whether the broader theater remains tied in procedural stalemates and strategic posturing. The broader provincial scene watches closely as alliances realign behind the scenes, and the public conversation sways between calls for unity and suspicions about hidden agendas.
The Alicante sanchistas, headed by Adsuar and backed by a core group that includes Antonio Mira-Perceval Graells, Antonia Graells, José Miguel González Moreno, José Asensi, and Sofía Morales, face a defining choice. They must determine whether to reclaim a sense of identity anchored in anti Franco sentiment or to pursue new alliances with the political actor who was long identified as their most visible adversary. The tension mirrors a broader question within the city’s PSOE: can the faction that once defined itself by opposition to Franco now operate as a cohesive force alongside him? In Alicante, the latest chapters suggest a practical ease and a growing comfort in collaboration, even if that means redefining what their public stance stands for.
This moment also signals a double identity crisis for the sanchistas in Alicante. They have temporarily lost their link to the higher echelons that once energized their movement and are now edging closer to consolidating the very catalyst that has steered their course in recent years. The realization has settled in within the group that working with Franco might bring a more straightforward, less confrontational path forward. The days of strict opposition seem to be giving way to a pragmatic approach that prioritizes governance and electoral viability over rigid ideological purity.