The topic is longstanding but has intensified as municipal and regional elections approach. The shift of politicians between parties has been especially pronounced with Ciudadanos, whose members have flocked to the PP, a movement that scholars describe as a scavenging of talent from a political field in flux. The party is at a critical point of fragmentation. On the left, the dynamics differ. Rather than crossing party lines, there is a consolidation of groups aiming to pool votes for stronger electoral results. Analysts generally agree that regrouping is occurring on both sides and some speculate it could spark a return to bipartisanship.
One notable event involved the Alicante Provincial Council, where Julia Parra and Javier Gutiérrez left Ciudadanos, triggering a minor crisis as both were part of the government team led by the Popular Party’s Carlos Mazón. After stepping back from duties, Parra appeared on Mazón’s regional list in sixth place, while Gutiérrez joined in sixteenth place.
The news cycle around Sant Joan d’Alacant drew wide attention when mayor Santiago Román left the orange lineup to rejoin the PP and lead the ticket, a move accompanied by several councillors. Ultimately, a decision was made to end the coalition at the end of the prior year, allowing government to continue with PSPV-PSOE in the city council.
More cases emerged with liberals and the PP taking the lead. A striking example occurred in Elda, where politics turned into a merging of factions. The group announced its candidate Paco Sánchez, the former Ciudadanos spokesperson, who would be joined by four other councilors. The orange camp quickly countered by announcing that the top spot in the municipal list would go to the PP’s Fran Muñoz, who had resigned as local party chairman after Sánchez’s mayoral candidacy was disclosed.
The disintegration of Ciudadanos fuels rightward moves
Other high-profile cases include Javier Mora, mayor of Granja de Rocamora, who has not recently stood as their candidate in elections. The party’s wave also affected the PP, which recently saw Alicante city councilor Julia Llopis switch to Vox after Barcala was removed from the PP list. She would be fourth on the Vox regional ticket. In Calp, Ana Sala formed a new party to participate in elections following César Sánchez’s appointment as PP regional list chair. In Muro, councilors Ángel Molla and Xelo Cascant joined Ens Uneix, a list established by Jorge Rodríguez, Ontinyent’s mayor and former regional assembly president, marking his first entry into Alicante province politics.
In these developments affecting center-right formations, Guillermo Picó, spokesperson for Veïns per Monòvar, was named head of the PP list. The left, too, faces its own upheavals, not through mass transfers but through alliances among parties to the left of PSOE, with coalitions forming after recent shifts. Nationally, Podemos did not join the Sumar project, while Compromís declined alliance at the regional level. Nevertheless, Unides Podem, AB, Alianza Verde and Los Verdes forged a Valencian Community coalition for these elections, influencing municipalities like Alicante and Elche.
PP’s recruitment of liberal cadres reflects a strategy to neutralize rivals. Analysts concur that Ciudadanos’ collapse has driven regrouping on both the right and the left, and experts agree that the tilt toward the right is a response to the party’s disintegration. University of Alicante sociologist Clemente Penalva notes that the shifting of liberal figures shapes the results seen in the 2019 general elections, a trend reinforced by recent polling and a sense that some representatives will pursue political careers in other formations. Penalva adds that cadres see electoral wins as a path and understand the logic of modern campaigns as a means to advance.
Manuel Alcaraz, a professor of Constitutional Law and former government official, argues that Ciudadanos has long been seen as opportunistic and not afraid to ride the PP’s momentum in a crisis, drawing parallels with earlier parties like UCD and CDS. He emphasizes that defining a centrist identity remains the party’s central challenge. On the left, observers note that coalition experiments in national and regional governments influence current deals. There is a sense that no left party evokes the same fear from Vox, which feeds confidence in repeat coalitions without fear of vote loss.
The push to concentrate votes drives leftward realignments
Victoria Rodríguez, a political science professor at UMH in Elche, concurs that Ciudadanos’ disintegration breeds confusion on the right. She notes the PP’s strategy of absorbing liberal cadres who bring experience and cohesion, viewing it as a way for those politicians to continue their careers. Rodríguez also suggests that the shift to the right for PSOE and the clustering of left parties may signal a reemergence of bipartisanship. She notes that fragmentation initially appeared to widen the political field but could yield a narrower realignment after a few years, with a possible second party on the left and a counterpart on the right.
Irene Belmonte, another UMH political science professor, observes a heightened flux yet sees bipartisanship returning as more regional platforms emerge with each election cycle. She highlights that left-leaning coalitions seem viable because fragmentation often faces electoral penalties, a dynamic seen in cases like Teruel and other regional examples. Deals on the left appear plausible under this framework.
Citizens: The most prominent transfer case in Diputación
Julia Parra and Javier Gutiérrez lead the list of Ciudadanos departures in Diputación, stepping away from their duties and joining the PP’s regional slate led by Carlos Mazón. Their exit underscores the party’s leadership challenge and the broader realignment underway.
Vox: High-profile switch from the PP
Julia Llopis, Alicante’s city councilor, swapped sides from the PP to Vox after her removal from Barcala’s slate. She is slated to be fourth on Vox’s regional ticket. This move marks another dramatic reshuffle in the region as parties vie for electoral positioning and influence among key municipalities.
In sum, the political landscape in Alicante and its neighboring areas reveals a period of notable realignments. Analysts emphasize that the core driver remains the collapse of Ciudadanos and the ensuing regrouping on both wings, with the potential for renewed bipartisanship depending on forthcoming electoral dynamics and coalition calculations. Attribution: analyses from political scientists at regional universities and policy institutes.