The shifting political landscape in Alicante and beyond
The topic, though longstanding, has gained speed as municipal and regional elections approach. Politicians moving between parties have intensified, especially with Ciudadanos, whose members have flocked to the PP in large numbers, reshaping the field. The party shows signs of substantial disintegration. On the left, the pattern differs: rather than swapping individuals, diverse groups are forming alliances to consolidate votes and improve outcomes. Yet experts acknowledge a recoalescence on both sides and even hints that bipartisanship might return in some form.
Among the most talked-about transfers was at the Alicante Provincial Council, where Julia Parra and Javier Gutiérrez left Ciudadanos and joined the PP-aligned regional list under Carlos Mazón after stepping back from their powers in government. Parra ranked sixth and Gutiérrez sixteenth on the new slate. This event underscored how the disintegration of Ciudadanos is reshaping alliances and prompting realignments in local governance.
The media spotlight also fell on the Sant Joan d’Alacant mayor, Santiago Román, who departed from Ciudadanos to rejoin the PP, launching his candidacy alongside allied councillors. Their coalition later dissolved, leading to continued governance with PSPV-PSOE through the end of the previous year.
Similar dynamics played out further afield, with liberal and PP actors repeatedly at the center of movements. In Elda, for instance, a public exchange of lists occurred as Ciudadanos nominated Paco Sánchez, the former municipal spokesperson, to join a slate with four other councilors. The orange faction quickly countered, placing popular Fran Muñoz at the top of its municipal list after learning Sánchez would head the campaign, as Muñoz had just stepped down as local party chairman.
Disintegration in the orange camp appears to drive rightward shifts. The case of Javier Mora, mayor of Granja de Rocamora, illustrates a broader trend, with several Ciudadanos leaders no longer seeking re-election under their former banner. In Alicante city, Julia Llopis left the council to join Vox after Barcala’s removal from the regional list was announced. The Calp leadership also made a move, with Ana Sala forming a new party to run in elections following César Sánchez’s appointment to the PP regional slate. In Muro, councilors Ángel Molla and Xelo Cascant joined Ens Uneix, initiated by Jorge Rodríguez, Ontinyent’s mayor and former Valencian Provincial Assembly president, marking a notable provincial debut for him. Guillermo Picó, head of Veïns per Monòvar, was named the PP list leader as part of this reshuffle.
The left’s situation reveals a different strain. Rather than frequent transfers, it shows a struggle among parties to unite or form coalitions to counterbalance the PSOE. After the Sumar platform emerged with Yolanda Díaz at the helm, Podemos opted not to join the project at the national level, while Compromís resisted formal alignment regionally. Nevertheless, Unides Podem, AB, Alianza Verde, and Los Verdes forged a coalition in the Valencian Community that also affects cities like Alicante and Elche. These left-wing experiments suggest a renewed awareness that coalitions can influence outcomes, even if fragmentation remains a recurrent theme.
Right-leaning consolidation and leftward vote concentration
Polls and analysts describe a common motive: the concentration of votes. From the right, the PP has pursued the recruitment of liberal cadres to dilute competition and present a more moderate profile, contrasting with rivals such as Vox. On the left, party consolidation is similarly framed as a strategy to maximize electoral heft in tight races. Experts emphasize that the upheaval around Ciudadanos has opened space for regroupment on both sides, with implications for future elections.
Clemente Penalva, a sociology professor at the University of Alicante, points to the Ciudadanos collapse as a decisive factor shaping the 2019 general elections and the more recent electoral landscape. He notes that party switches reflect a strategic calculus about how elections are understood and won. The PP’s willingness to absorb experienced liberal cadres is seen as a bid to curb competition and recalibrate the center-right’s tone, potentially marginalizing more extreme rivals like Vox (as observed in several regions). Manuel Alcaraz, a constitutional law scholar and former government reform official, adds that Ciudadanos has historically been perceived as opportunistic, a trait that makes party-defection plausible in times of crisis. He compares Ciudadanos to historical centrist formations, where identity defines a party more than ideology. On the left, alliances have emerged to test whether coalitions can deliver governance without sacrificing ideological coherence.
Scholars also discuss how inter-party deals among leftist groups depend on past experiences in national or regional governments. The idea is that fragmentation tends to be punished by electoral systems, encouraging pragmatic coalitions even when ideological purity is compromised. Victoria Rodríguez of the Miguel Hernández University notes that the concentration of liberal cadres by the PP signals a practical path to stability for some politicians seeking longer careers in public life. She also suggests this realignment could be part of a broader bid to restore bipartisanship, if only temporarily. Irene Belmonte, another political scientist, cautions that a full return to prior bipartisan patterns is unlikely. She highlights the rise of regional platforms and the persistent fragmentation that elections routinely unleash, even as coalitions form to govern at the local level.
The most prominent transfer case in the Diputación centers on Julia Parra and Javier Gutiérrez, who left Ciudadanos and joined the PP-led regional slate headed by Carlos Mazón. Their moves underscore a broader pattern where Ciudadanos voters and activists have drifted toward the PP, reshaping leadership and internal balance. In Vox, Julia Llopis’s switch from the PP to Vox after a reshuffle in Alicante illustrates how local dynamics echo national strategic recalibrations. Meanwhile, Ana Sala’s Calp initiative shows that local leadership can crystallize into new political platforms when old structures falter. Together, these shifts reflect a region negotiating its political future through rapid realignment and coalition-building, often with the aim of stabilizing governance in uncertain times.
In summary, the Alicante region and its neighboring provinces reveal a political environment in flux: a central question is whether the disintegration of Ciudadanos will translate into a broader, enduring bipartisanship or a more entrenched multi-party arrangement. Analysts agree that the answer hinges on how parties manage talent and align with voters who crave clarity amid constant changes. The evolving landscape will continue to test the durability of traditional blocs and the appeal of emergent regional platforms.