AA municipal spokesperson for the PSOE at Alicante City Council Francesc Sanguino took another step in his effort to clean up the Francoist influence in the provincial capital. If he dismisses three advisers on Friday and attempts to isolate the deputy spokesperson, Trini Amoros, by keeping him out of the local boards where he serves, Sanguino would also remove him from his second position within Ferraz. A letter has been sent to the federal director of the PSOE alongside a parallel group of municipalities that was created and managed with the involvement of Ángel Franco, with input from the local secretary general, Michael Millana. There is also a proposal to forward a copy to the Provincial leadership and the PSPV-PSOE direction in Valencia. This step appears to heighten tensions and, as a consequence, politicians close to Ferraz are being drawn into the conflict. Over the weekend, calls from multiple directions aimed at containing the issue were noted, and Sanguino defended his decision to reject Alicante PSOE tourism tax policy.
Sanguino punishes the Franco sector: dismisses three advisers and tries to keep the number two member of the group free of charge
In his letter, Sanguino notes that last November, coinciding with the Valencian Socialists congress in Benidorm, a parallel group of councilors was organized under the leadership of former senator Ángel Franco. The group included the general secretary Miguel Millana, the organization secretary Pedro Ródenas, and several municipal advisers, one of whom had been hired and subsequently dismissed by the municipal group itself. These claims form part of a broader assertion about the organization of political work outside the traditional party channels.
Sanguino asserts that this parallel group reportedly met daily and shaped municipal policy under Ángel Franco’s direction, effectively sidelining the spokesperson. He argues that he has had to resort to written communications and public statements to express his position and to defend his own visibility in the official channels of the group.
The official narrative depicts the daily meetings as a mechanism through which strategic decisions were made, bypassing normal procedures and limiting the spokesperson’s role. It is claimed that these dynamics prompted Sanguino to take countermeasures aimed at preserving institutional balance and ensuring that decisions on municipal policy received proper oversight from the formal structure of the party group.
There are references to a daily information flow during these meetings where press material was circulated by Miguel Millana and the councillor in charge of the area, rather than through the spokesperson. The aftermath involved efforts to reposition leadership and protect the integrity of the official communications process within the council group. This included critiques of how announcements were produced and disseminated, and a push to restore a more transparent and accountable flow of information.
According to Sanguino, the parallel group’s activities continued without his consent or knowledge, and there were calls for its withdrawal from the official line of communication. He notes that an information campaign was launched around the same period in which the spokesperson did not appear, despite a shared interest in aligning the group’s municipal allocations with its political program. Admin personnel reportedly labeled the campaign as dishonest, though the overall behavior of the parallel group did not show any material change.
In his statements, Sanguino contends that the local secretary general should refrain from municipal political actions without his consent or participation. He maintains that the parallel group did not alter its trajectory, nor did it invite constructive criticism of the local government or proposals intended to unify communications with due respect to the spokesperson. The ongoing pattern, he argues, continues to undermine formal processes and governance norms day after day.
With this context, Sanguino positions the Ferraz letter as a formal complaint intended to address the situation. A copy of the correspondence was sent to the PSOE in the province and to Valencia, with the hope that the party would review the case and take appropriate action in light of the concerns raised about the internal management and communication practices that have affected the city’s political team.
“Thanks Paco, but really thank you,” Barcala and Mazón say to Sanguino.
The spokesperson noted that after these daily meetings, reactions and press releases related to municipal policy were circulated to the media on a daily basis. They claim the material did not originate with the spokesperson, but rather from Miguel Millana and the regional councillor, who took charge of the communications for the area in question. As a consequence, Sanguino’s own role as spokesperson was effectively sidelined in these processes. In the described sessions, decisions on initiatives requiring executive or group approval were made in the general assembly, and dissemination occurred without prior discussion with the spokesperson or group members. There are even statements indicating that the unofficial group issued messages without consent, demanding its withdrawal.
From November onward, information campaigns were launched in which the spokesperson did not participate, despite the campaigns receiving support from the group’s allocated budget. Administrators labeled these campaigns as dishonest, though the overall conduct did not appear to change. Sanguino contends that the local secretary general was urged to cede municipal political activity without his consent, and maintains that the parallel group’s behavior did not evolve, continuing to operate outside the bounds of proper accountability, while avoiding direct criticism of the local government or constructive suggestions aimed at unifying the communication and respecting the spokesperson’s role.
Thus, Sanguino uses this ongoing circumstance to justify sending the Ferraz letter, a copy of which was shared with the province and Valencia, with hopes that the party will review the matter and take appropriate action to restore governance norms and ensure clear, accountable leadership within Alicante’s municipal team.