The electoral slate of the PSOE in San Vicente del Raspeig underwent a sharp test last Sunday, with all votes cast on a single list presented by Mayor Jesús Villar. The vote leaves the socialist executive with the final say on the slate and signals a moment of consolidation or reconfiguration for the local party leadership.
Miguel Ángel Mora publicly objected to the regional secretariat led by Asun Paris, despite his position at fifth on the list. Mora finished last in the tally, while the remaining three councilors alongside Villar and Paris from the current City Council appeared poised to reclaim their seats and influence. Those chosen by the mayor to occupy the positions three, four, five and six now sit in a balance that could keep the core leadership from slipping into the starting lineup, effectively reshaping who holds power in the party’s internal hierarchy.
On Monday night a PSOE board meeting in San Vicente examined the voting results, inviting the manager to present the final offer. The parliament considered the results and the executive’s internal criteria, with the party’s slate set to remain open until the March 14 deadline. A substantial portion of the voters who felt sidelined were aligned with this internal faction, underscoring significant divisions within the organization.
The mayor’s proposal, approved by the executive on February 13, envisions a substantial purge within the San Vicente PSOE after a period of intense internal debate. Asun Paris remains the spokesperson and local secretary, and she continues as number two on the slate. Two councilors, Noelia Hernán and Patricia Ferris, are positioned in the middle of the lineup, while the party currently holds ten councilors. A pattern emerges where positions nine through twelve seem either outside or on the brink of exclusion from the main starting spots. The remaining councilor, Juan Antonio Lopez Perona, served as a reserve. Three councilors who entered the company between 2021 and 2022 in the wake of multiple resignations during a period of political crisis have shaped the evolving leadership landscape.
What matters most is the party’s militancy, whose votes could significantly alter the composition. Paris received the most votes, followed by Bruno Radermecker, the municipal political secretary who garnered strong support. Noelia Hernán, the third most voted, and Patricia Ferris, the fourth, also polled well, signaling a robust base for the trio within the party’s framework. The distribution continued with Eugenio Toledo and Maria Teresa Colomina ranking further down the list, each reflecting different factions and regional interests. Juan Antonio Lopez Perona, initially placed eleventh, secured a substitute position, while Omer Mansor and Mary Jesus Moreno, the latter serving as organizational secretary and the mayor’s ally, occupied notable places with varying levels of backing. Eduardo Rodelgo, third on Villar’s list, also featured prominently in the updated tally.
Other notable figures included Yolanda Garcia, the mayor’s participation secretary, who finished fifteenth, and Laura Pastor, responsible for Diversity and Social Movements, who placed near the lower end. Jose Manuel Bevia, ranked ninth with a considerable share of votes, and Mora, who finished last, left the door open for ongoing discussions about future integration within the party’s leadership team. The board’s assessment following Monday’s tally suggested there would be no immediate judgment, with the mayor stating a plan to review the results in light of tonight’s executive discussions before deciding on the path forward for the electoral slate.
The Monday declaration indicated that no final conclusions would be drawn until after a thorough meeting with the executive. Although the initial vote did not yield a decisive mandate from the militants for the proposed slate, the process would continue to evolve as the party weighs the electoral list and its implications for governance at the municipal level. The broader renovation envisioned by the mayor remains partially unresolved, reflecting a broader conversation about governance within the San Vicente PSOE and the balance between loyalty and reform.
Behind the scenes, the upheaval is connected to a wider narrative from 2021, when internal communications surfaced showing a parallel group led by certain councilors operating independently from the municipality. The ensuing tensions and the ultimately decisive changes before the May 28 elections have shaped the current leadership calculus. Villar’s objective to lead the council for a third term remains a central thread in the political dialogue surrounding San Vicente’s municipal governance and the direction of the Socialist Party within the town. The ongoing discussions and the dynamic internal landscape underscore the delicate balance between party cohesion and the need to respond to constituent expectations in this competitive political environment. [Source: Local News Agency]