Ximo Puig speaks in Torrevieja about Vega Baja’s role in the Valencian Community’s future
President of the Generalitat and Secretary General of PSPV-PSOE, Ximo Puig participated in a Saturday gathering at the Virgen del Carmen Cultural Center in Torrevieja. The event aimed to support the socialist candidacy in the Vega Baja region. Puig stated that Vega Baja is home to honest, hardworking people who deserve representatives aligned with their standards. He stressed that the Valencian Community’s future cannot exist without recognizing what Vega Baja represents for the land, adding that real strength comes from embracing the region’s diversity. He also criticized years when the region was overlooked, noting that the citizens of Vega Baja have a clear desire not to return to the past but to advance the future they have begun to build.
Puig later called for a robust commitment in Guardamar, describing Vega Baja as a territory with greater investment and influence than the Generalitat itself. He encouraged Torrevieja’s mayoral candidate Bárbara Soler to ensure the town gains a strong alternative to what he described as the failed PP project. He argued that the PP lacks a viable plan for the Valencian Community or Vega Baja, branding their approach as driven by insults rather than strategy. He reminded listeners that Vega Baja does not belong to anyone’s personal backyards and that its voice and forward-looking vision are indispensable. The socialist leader emphasized the need for a future built through cooperation with mayors and local leaders, echoing the idea that society requires hope, a concrete work program, and collaborative governance.
Reflecting on challenging times, Puig highlighted a distinctly different response from his side of politics compared with the PP’s approach to economic crises. He recalled moments from his administration, including joint efforts during DANA and the Vega Renhace initiative, which demonstrated how collective action can safeguard lives and livelihoods. When the pandemic struck, he noted that not everyone stayed to celebrate but chose shared responsibility, stressing that protecting people’s lives was the priority. With current inflation and rising costs, he asserted that measures were taken to benefit the majority rather than to look the other way.
On investments, Puig noted that Vega Baja stands out as the region with the highest educational investment within the Valencian Community, surpassing even the total investment of the previous legislature by the PP. He reiterated that public health is the cornerstone of equality and pledged to ensure the health services deserved by the region, promising that there would be no first- or second-class care. The message was clear: public health remains a universal right and a fundamental pillar of social welfare.
Puig calls for broader collaboration with major companies in a centrist-oriented agenda
Addressing water challenges, Puig insisted that the solution lies in negotiation rather than in conflict or war over resources. He framed the socialist project as a long-term plan rooted in cooperation. The overarching aim is full employment, enabling young people to pursue living projects with decent housing and access to better education. He underscored a commitment to a sustainable future that respects the environment, promotes renewable energy, and safeguards the welfare state as the region moves toward energy autonomy.
The event featured a slate of local figures aligned with the PSOE: Bárbara Soler, candidate for mayor of Torrevieja and chair of the PSOE’s local executive; Ruben Ferrándiz, a regional PSOE leader; Caroline Grace, mayoral candidate in Orihuela; Manuel Ros, mayor of Algorfa; Carmen Sánchez, mayoral hopeful in Bigastro; and Antonio Escudero, candidate for Pilar de la Horadada. Their presence reinforced a unified regional strategy centered on inclusive growth, public services, and community resilience.
Puig’s critique during the rally
A banner displayed opposite the cultural center carried messages critical of Puig, reading, “You’ve ruined our hospital, Ximo enough!” and “Go and don’t come back with Tito Berni.” The banner disappeared around 10 p.m. and the incident was attributed to local tensions surrounding health services, with proponents arguing for more community control over coastal health. The structure housing the display sits near the intersection of Pedro Lorca and del Mar streets, with the banner spanning multiple balconies on the building’s facade.