The XV Legislative Assembly is set to convene next Thursday, marking a pivotal moment as party leaders prepare for open discussions after weeks of private talks. The governing consensus will emerge from the votes of its members, led by the presiding officer who guides the proceedings.
The eventual allocation of roles among forces and blocs may reveal the mood surrounding potential assignments. There is no clear indication of Valencian candidates among the pools, as the official lists for the major parties — the PP and PSOE — and the most probable elected figures remain uncertain.
What is the Congress Desk and why is it important?
It is possible that a Valencian deputy from Valencia, Castellón, or Alicante could join the governing body of Congress. Since the first Legislature in 1977, nine of the Community’s sixteen legislatures have included representatives from the Valencian Community in the Assembly. Between 2000 and 2008, two Valle y de Castellón figures served on the Desk — a president, four vice-presidents, and four secretaries — reflecting a history of Valencian involvement at the national level.
Emilio Attard (UCD) was the first to play a key role in this pattern, contributing to the drafting commission for the Constitution and later becoming First Vice-President at the end of the first Legislative Assembly. In 1982, he helped set a precedent for Valencian representation at the Desk. .
Junts will decide its position on the Table of Congress this Thursday
It would take until 1986 for Castellón’s deputy, Irma Simón, to represent Valencians on the Governing Body, occupying the Third Secretariat. The position comes with years of experience and training to understand congressional procedures and formats. Consequently, it is common for Desk members to return for multiple legislatures. Ignacio Gil Lázaro entered Congress in 1982 with Manuel Fraga’s People’s Alliance and has since accumulated nearly four decades of service, dedicating a substantial portion of his career to the Desk, including roles as Fourth Vice President and various secretaries under different party labels between 2004 and 2015. .
Gil Lázaro, now a Vox MP and a prominent figure for Abascal’s movement in Valencia, again served as the Fourth Vice-President in the most recent legislature.
Socialist José Vicente Beviá Pastor from Alicante also achieved a notable track in the 1990s, being elected First Vice President in 1993 and leading many plenary sessions during Felipe González’s final term. After José María Aznar’s victory, Beviá Pastor remained at the Desk but was moved to the Fourth Vice President post. .
familiar faces
Among Valencians holding seats on the Board that leads and organizes debates in the Chamber, several familiar names have shaped politics in the Community. Former Generalitat president Francisco Camps served as First Vice President from 2000 to 2002. Camps stepped away after being named the Aznar administration’s delegate in the Valencian Community, a role he later left to pursue the Generalitat candidacy in the 2003 regional elections.
That period also saw the Valencian representation pattern at the Desk become evident again. The post associated with IU went to Presentación Urán, a Valencia deputy, while the Fourth Secretary slot was held by a representative aligned with IU’s quota during that era. In contrast, his later involvement with the Consell under Ximo Puig aligned with Compromís, not with the EUPV from which Urán originated.
Former Agriculture Minister Isaura Navarro, who replaced Mirella Moia at Botànic last October, also joined the Congress Desk. Between 2004 and 2008, Navarro held the Fourth Secretary role, coordinating IU’s presence in the Desk, before transitioning to roles within broader coalitions associated with the Valencian regional government. .