The political landscape in l’Alacantí has seen a flurry of candidate movements as parties shape their municipal slates for upcoming elections. In San Vicente, Pachi Pascual, the mayor who returned after a four-year absence in the Cs ranks, has officially rejoined thePP candidacy for the city’s leadership. In El Campello, the incumbent mayor, Juanjo Berenguer, continues to lead the electoral list, though he faces scrutiny over allegations of administrative irregularities that keep him under a cloud as the campaign unfolds. In Mutxamel, the top post is transitioning from long-serving mayor Sebastián Cañadas to his deputy, Rafael García Berenguer, who will assume command after a lengthy parliamentary-style workflow that saw several team members rotated through the administration. In Sant Joan, the situation remains unsettled. Although Cs had publicly signaled that the current orange mayor, Santiago Román, would top the ticket, no formal move has been made and rumors persist about a potential return to the PP after years of speculation. The last pieces of the Sant Joan picture still need to fall into place as political operatives weigh the options for the local roster.
With Pascual’s return to the San Vicente PP, the sequence mirrors a broader, more intricate strategy that could also reshape Sant Joan. In Sant Joan, Cs governs in coalition with PSOE after a rotating mayor arrangement. Román previously aligned with the socialists rather than joining a three-party pact that included Vox and the PP, a split that traces back to a 2015 clash with party leadership. If Román contemplates a comeback to the PP, it could destabilize a mayoral team already navigating pressures from both the orange and socialist camps. Early discussions indicate that the regional alliance has tentatively approved 2022 fiscal accounts well in advance of year-end, a move that signals careful budgeting as regional negotiations continue.
From the regional PP’s side, officials have kept a narrow focus on reaching a broad consensus for Sant Joan’s popular candidate while avoiding premature declarations, given the seven-month runway before polls open. The emphasis remains on maintaining strategic flexibility rather than committing to any single path, a stance that aligns with the party’s broader objective to secure a strong showing across the province ahead of the 2023 elections.
Other major municipalities in the region already feature clear popular contenders. In San Vicente, Pascual’s return is framed as a pivotal revival for a town previously controlled by PSOE since 2015. The Cs retreat to the political margins in prior cycles appears to be losing momentum, and his comeback is expected to energize supporters and help reshape the balance of power in the council chamber.
In El Campello and Mutxamel, the overarching aim is to preserve the mayoralties while improving electoral outcomes. Both towns previously formed tripartite coalitions with Cs and Vox to reduce dependence on other parties after a mandate that eventually shifted to a bilateral format and, in Mutxamel’s case, to a minority government. In June, El Campello’s leadership clashed with the PP, resulting in a reconfiguration where Cs was expelled from the governing alignment. Mutxamel later saw Vox excluded from the coalition as the political dynamic moved toward a new balance of power.
In El Campello, Berenguer faces a legal cloud as prosecutors pursue a case alleging contract irregularities and a potential 13-year dismissal should guilt be established. The trial date remains to be set, but the legal proceedings have added a layer of complexity to his reappointment efforts and the town’s electoral calculations.
Mutxamel, by contrast, has settled into a quieter stage, with Sebastián Cañadas stepping down after a decade as mayor. His successor, Rafael García Berenguer, currently the Mayor of Culture, will pick his own deputy and shape the new council leadership. The transition signals a shift in how the town will navigate governance and public service during the upcoming term.
Thus, the Sant Joan question continues to captivate voters and observers alike. The identity of the leading candidate for the town’s next cycle is expected to emerge in the coming days as the political calendar accelerates. The question remains whether the popular leadership will reassert control, or if negotiations will yield a different configuration for Sant Joan’s administration and its alignment with regional partners. The broader picture shows parties weighing the best combination of experience, reform, and coalition-building as the region approaches a pivotal electoral moment.