Ximo Puig is stepping away from his role as a territorial senator representing the Valencian Community. The former president of the Generalitat has submitted his resignation from the Senate so he can move forward with a new ambassadorial appointment for Spain with the OECD, a move that is expected to be confirmed this Tuesday during the Council of Ministers, the body responsible for such nominations.
He formally notified the Valencian regional chamber that his resignation from the Senate seat representing the Valencian Community was executed in accordance with the decision reached by the Valencian Courts on July 27, 2023, noting in the declaration that the resignation should take full legal effect and be recognized in all relevant records. Puig was elected to the Senate to serve in that capacity and, in addition, he held the position of president of the Budget Committee.
Similar to events last week when Carmen Calvo, the former deputy prime minister, stepped down from the Congress a day before being named president of the Council of State, Puig is resigning one day ahead of the upcoming Council of Ministers meeting. All signs point to the formal approval of his designation as Spain’s ambassador to the OECD, a role based in Paris and one that had been anticipated for several months within political circles.
His move to the French capital will mark a complete exit from the front line of Valencian politics. In December he left his seat in the regional Cortes, and now he gives up his Senate post as the party undergoes a renewal process slated to conclude during the Benicàssim weekend on March 22–24. There, a new leadership team is expected to be installed, with Diana Morant taking the role of secretary-general, and Puig’s departure signaling the end of more than a decade at the helm of the party.
In fact, Friday the 22nd will feature the first day of the extraordinary congress and will serve as a formal tribute to Puig for his leadership in the Valencian government and the party. It will be his last act as the figurehead of the Valencian socialists before he assumes a role outside the main focus of Valencian politics. In Paris, Puig will succeed Manuel Escudero, who was appointed in June 2018 to replace the former Education Minister, José Ignacio Wert.