The renewal fight within PSPV has mostly unfolded around personalities, a clash that looks like power plays but currently lacks concrete project conflicts. There are no candidacies or initial nominations, yet three names remain in contention before the national committee as Ximo Puig steps back: Minister Diana Morant and senior leaders from Alicante and Valencia, Alejandro Soler and Carlos Fernández Bielsa. For the moment, without delving into specifics, the conversation continues about who will appoint the secretary general. There is little mutual clarity about each candidate’s vision. In a political landscape characterized by heavy centralization in Madrid, the debate rarely asks whether PSPV needs a more Valencian orientation, a move to the left to attract voters from Sumar and Compromís, or a shift to the center to capture a broad majority.
So far no discussion has touched on this either. The core question for PSPV is whether the leadership will be decided through a primary among several candidates or through integration of currents, and, if so, which faction gains influence in that outcome.
For the moment, the days pass with Morant remaining in the wings while Soler continues to push for the post of general secretary. The question that remains is whether Ferraz will adjust its stance, favoring the Minister of Science as the sole option, or whether it might accept another approach that feels fresh and inclusive of multiple sensitivities. This is the impression circulating within the Alicante leadership circle.
In recent hours, Santos Cerdán, the organizing secretary of PSOE, and his team, who joined with deputies during yesterday’s anti-crisis session, have intensified outreach to PSPV’s influential figures and barons, as one deputy confirms. Soler, an MP, attended an important session yesterday, yet the Valencian camp seems more focused on internal renewal.
Meanwhile, the Alicante secretary hosted a lunch yesterday with another deputy and party leader, José Luis Ábalos. This move signals strength. Ábalos, the former organizing secretary, embodies a historic axis that has shed members in recent years but still wields influence, networks, and reach. This bloc has leaned toward Soler in recent months and continues to view the current moment as an opportunity to present a unified stance and integrate others. Simultaneously, signs of alignment and possible collusion appear in the orbit of the Alicante leader and Bielsa from Valencia. A sense of harmony and consensus on core issues was highlighted in a recent gathering in Mislata, where the mayor posted a photo with Puig. Critics noted that there was no explicit discussion about the convention at that event.
Turning to Diana Morant, commentary suggests she remains cautious until the congress calendar is set, aligning with the strategic posture Pedro Sánchez would prefer. Yet those closest to Puig, the faction around him, appear to be keeping a lower profile. On the other hand, several regional figures demonstrated their influence by signaling flexible preferences.
At the UGT headquarters in Valencia, a meeting drew together prominent Valencian figures from the government, including Pilar Bernabé and Sandra Gómez, alongside Soler and other party leaders from the region. Esteemed delegates and regional organizers like Ángel Franco, Alcoy’s mayor Toni Francés, and Toñi Serna, a trusted ally of Leire Pajín, joined Samuel Falomir, Castellón’s provincial secretary and mayor of Vall d’Uixó, and Tania Baños, to discuss paths forward. Observers estimate this alliance could mobilize roughly half of the militancy in Valencia and Alicante, with Castellón’s base forming a substantial majority. These calculations underscore the strategic leverage this bloc aims to wield in shaping the renewal process.
Viewed through this lens, Morant might be nudged toward the arena, though she is far from the sole candidate. The big question remains—will the executive branch begin a formal process in Congress next week and how will the different currents position themselves? The landscape is still unsettled, and clarity seems distant until formal procedures unfold.