In the wake of a protest mindset that spread through the empty spaces once described as blank Spain, the rural zones of Alicante province are witnessing a similar surge. Independent groups are gaining traction outside traditional parties, and they managed to secure at least 11 mayoralties in the most recent elections.
Parties like Teruel Existe and more recently Soria Ya have aimed to highlight desolate areas that have long suffered under administrative neglect and face serious service and communication shortcomings. You don’t need to travel far to find parallel situations, especially in the inland highlands of Alicante, where the problems mirror those seen elsewhere and where small populations coexist with a determined spirit to push for changes beyond the conventional party system. A visible sign of this is the mood around last Sunday’s elections, when 11 independent groups won control in their municipalities and will govern for the next four years. The towns were Alfafara, Benimeli, Castell de Castells, L Atzúbia, Parcent, Sagra, Sanet i Negrals, Sella, Senija, Tárbena, and Vall de Gallinera, marking two more municipalities than in the previous cycle.
The leader from Gent pel Canvi, Maria Teresa Roselló, will continue to guide Sagra after securing six council seats against one for the PP. While an agreement among other groups limited her governing power, it should be remembered that she first won the post eight years ago while running for PSPV. The 2023 results show a shift, as the independent candidacy helped secure the municipality for a second term.
The reasons behind Roselló’s move center on the challenge of finding people willing to join a party list who do not want to be swallowed by acronyms. She asserts that the group still holds a left-leaning core and expresses appreciation for the absence of competing lists from the Socialists in this election, which she believes contributed to the surge in support and to the gain of two extra council seats compared to the prior term. She adds that the positive experience convinced them to stay with Gent pel Canvi and that they expect better results ahead.
The mayor notes that many on her list were offered opportunities to run as independents from PSPV, but the decision to stay with Gent pel Canvi was deliberate. The aim is to pursue practical solutions and to continue advancing projects the municipality believes are beneficial. A counterview exists, emphasizing that running as independents presents a chance to act differently and to mobilize support to address local issues more directly. Roselló stresses that independent governance is meant to empower residents to contribute to meaningful change and to help implement projects that the community sees as worthwhile.
On the funding question, supporters point out that subsidies from the Provincial General Assembly have not posed obstacles in recent years. Roselló notes that the past perception of favoritism belongs to a bygone era and recalls that she could obtain what she needed without depending on narrow political leverage.
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Another municipality headed by a repeat mayor is Alfafara, where Toni Cloquell of Gent x Alfafara has retained leadership after receiving the same vote tally as before, with 170 ballots. This outcome allowed five councilors to sit on the town council, compared with two for Compromís. Cloquell explains that the first time they stood for election four years earlier, their goal was to unite people who truly understood the town’s realities and to resist the arrival of outside lists that might dilute local influence. The independence of his group gives greater freedom, he notes, since party discipline in larger coalitions can restrict what a council believes is necessary. The trust the electorate places in reliable, local figures is clear, he says, and the support they have received in two consecutive elections reinforces that belief.
Looking at the broader landscape of traditional parties, the results highlighted differences in communities with small electorates. The PP emerged with the most victories, claiming control in twenty municipalities including Agres, Almudaina, Benasau, Benifallim, Benifato, Benillup, Benimarfull, Benimassot, Bolulla, Camp de Mirra, Confrides, Castell de Guadalest, Famorca, lOrxa, Lliber, Murla, Planes, Tollos, Tormos, and Torre de les Macanes, a spread that shows continued, localized support for center-right options. PSPV, meanwhile, secured a presence in eleven towns such as Alcoleja, Balones, Beniardà, Benigembla, Benimantell, Fageca, Gorga, lAlqueria dAsnar, Vall dAlcalà, Millena, Penàguila, and Quatretondeta. A smaller but meaningful showing placed two seats in several other municipalities, including Daya Vieja, El Ràfol dAlmúnia, Gaianes, Vall dAlcoià and Vall de Laguar, illustrating a multi-party mosaic in these provincial elections.