Isaura Navarro, the Minister of Agriculture and Environment, removed the Ecological Transition general manager, Peter Fresh. This move reflects a recurring pattern in a department known for its high-pressure dynamics and frequent personnel changes, a pattern that also marked Mireia Mollà’s departure as councilor over similar questions surrounding renewable energy sources. In the wake of the shift, Navarro’s team has already arranged a transition by appointing Enric to take over the responsibilities previously held by Juan as Vice President for Inclusive Policies and Director-General of Social Services Infrastructures within the Ministry, a post that had been overseen by Aitana Mas up to now.
The plenary session of the Consell in Alicante is expected to approve Fresh’s dismissal, the head of the General Directorate of Ecological Transition, who had been in his role since 2019 after being brought in for his expertise in renewable energy. He is known as a chemistry graduate, a professor-advisor at the International University of Valencia, and the author of several books. His appointment came as a result of his deep knowledge of renewable energy, but that very specialization ended up contributing to the decision to replace him.
Until the present moment, the Ecological Transition director general had been a vocal advocate for accelerating the deployment of renewable energy. He repeatedly urged bold action to meet European milestones, a stance that mirrored Mollà’s rhetoric yet contradicted the current direction of Compromís and its new departmental leadership, which has called for stronger assurances and safeguards in the installation of such facilities.
The tensions within the ministry became more visible in recent days. One flashpoint was a press article in which the general manager argued that rooftop solar self-consumption would be unlikely to reach the 6,000 MW target Brussels has set for 2030, suggesting the figure could be achieved at best only by a third of that amount. That claim directly clashed with Compromís’s public campaign, which rolled out the initiative under the banner “Comencem pel sostre” and asserted that rooftop installations could reach as much as 14 GW (14,000 MW).
His involvement with the Sumar coalition and Yolanda Díaz also sparked discomfort. In his remarks, he called for rapid progress, urging action to move three times faster than the existing pace. This stance was interpreted by some as reflecting Mollà’s influence on the government’s vice-presidency platform, seen as an effort to place one of Mollà’s allies on the ministry’s speaker roster. The friction within the government surfaces as a broader debate over how aggressively to pursue the energy transition, and who should steer the process to meet both regional and European expectations.
Fresco was not the first to exit the ministry after Mollà’s dismissal was confirmed. Others departed or stepped back in the same period, including the undersecretary of autonomy, Alfons Puncel, and the Ecological Transition regional secretary, Paula Tuzon. Their departures highlighted ongoing disagreements with Compromís regarding the pace and safeguards of renewable energy installations, underscoring that the rift within the coalition extended beyond a single appointment.
substitution
Pedro Fresco has already been succeeded at the head of the General Directorate of Ecological Transition. Navarro appointed Enric Juan, who serves as Director-General of Social Services Infrastructures within the ministry and previously held the Vice Presidency for Inclusive Policies, taking over responsibilities once managed by Aitana Mas. This move aims to stabilize the leadership during a period of notable upheaval within the ministry and its wider coalition partners.
Navarro reiterated the need for cohesive leadership within the department and pointed to Mas as a reference point for policy direction moving forward. The ministry also noted that until June, Mónica Oltra was tasked with covering gaps within the ministry after Mollà’s sudden dismissal, reflecting a continuity plan designed to manage the transitions with minimal disruption. The series of changes—dismissals, resignations, and new appointments—underscores the ongoing realignment within the governing bloc and the strategic recalibration of the energy policy agenda.
Across all these developments, the underlying thread is a party alliance facing internal fractures over how to balance rapid progress on renewable energy with the necessary safeguards, budgets, and social considerations. The reorganization speaks to broader negotiations among coalition partners as they navigate competing visions for the region’s environmental and economic priorities. The ripple effects are being watched by observers who track how internal governance dynamics translate into policy direction and implementation timelines.
This synthesis reflects a time of notable transition within the ministry and allied offices, illustrating how leadership changes interact with policy debates around energy, infrastructure, and social policy. The actors involved continue to influence, directly or indirectly, how the region approaches its 2030 energy targets and the accompanying regulatory framework that governs installations and incentives. The ongoing dialogue between supporters of rapid deployment and advocates of prudence marks a defining phase for the administration’s approach to sustainable growth and energy security.
This report draws on statements and actions reported by the Valencia regional government’s communications channels, and it remains understood that the implications of these moves extend beyond individual appointments to broader policy outcomes and coalition dynamics. The evolving situation will likely shape how the ministry aligns with European benchmarks while addressing regional concerns about affordability, reliability, and local impact. The central question remains: how will the coalition reconcile ambitious energy goals with the practicalities of policy design and implementation in the near term?