Ximo Puig, the general secretary of PSPV-PSOE and president of the Consell, together with the party leadership, has clarified recent moves in the build-up to the regional elections of 28 May. The lists agreed upon for the Valencian regional elections emphasize regeneration through a strong contingent of independents, a limited presence of mayors, and the exclusion of second- and third-tier senior officials. The aim is clear: allow party managers to concentrate on governance right up to the final days of both municipal and regional administration.
Ultimately, the scenario materialized with a list led by the Minister of Innovation and Universities, Josefina Bueno, featuring up to four independents, and occasionally five. This nomination echoes Puig’s stated view that it was necessary to seek new references to win a social majority in the Valencian Community. Yet many in Alicante’s socialist ranks perceived it as a direct rebuke to the party leadership and, in particular, to the provincial leadership overseen by Alejandro Soler. Only the sector concerned with former senator Ángel Franco showed signs of satisfaction after the nomination was approved, even after a day of changes as the list commission contemplated moving the process to Saturday, involving executive and national committees.
David Bernardo López, UMH professor in Orihuela, joins Yaissel Sánchez, Mario Villar, and Rosario Navalón
Saturday introduced a list focused on Alicante, headed by Josefina Bueno, which initially included five independents and kept at the top Laura Soler and José Chulvi, the Xàbia mayor and one of the eight Deputy Trustees of Parliament. Yaissel Sánchez, secretary general of the UGT in L’Alacantí and La Marina, joined late on Friday, followed by the Tourism Intelligence Director of Turisme Comunitat Valenciana, Mario Villar, and Rosario Navalón, the academic coordinator of the University Venue at the University of Alicante in Elda, making up six members. David Bernardo López, an agronomist and UMH professor at the Orihuela Higher Polytechnic School, joined in fourth place, elevating the representation of the agricultural engineering specialty from the Orihuela campus in a slate that included the transfer from Tagus.-Segura.
The ensemble also included notable names such as the author Luis Leante, who had won the Alfaguara Novel Award in 2007 and the Edebé Youth Literature Award multiple times for a novel about bullying. He was initially placed seventh but was eventually dropped from the list, causing several shifts among other candidates.
In any case, the move did not quell discontent among a significant portion of Alicante’s socialist base, particularly among supporters of Soler. The distribution appeared to many as a punitive measure against critical voices, amplifying tensions when viewed against the composition from the other two provinces.
Not only because of the veto against the provincial secretary, Francis Rubio, but also due to the contentious effort to broker a deal on Wednesday night which led to a name change and shifted leadership within the Elche group. Ramón Abad, the mayor of Elche who had been in a strong starting position, ended up lower in the ranking, while Leante moved down to tenth and the industry figure José Díaz from Eva Montesinos shifted to twelfth. The rearrangements highlighted the proximity of Salero’s camp to certain local interests, while the top positions remained occupied by figures from the city of Alicante. The broader implication was a regional balancing act that left Francoists hopeful about their influence, even as they watched Ana Barceló’s mayoral slate be excluded from a direct vote. Social circles debated the broader message this sent to the party’s base ahead of the campaign.
Critics gave Maite García, mayor of l’Alfàs del Pi, seven and Ramón Abad, Elche’s councilor, nine
Only a handful of top positions remained in play, with Nuria Pina, mayor of Ibi, reaching the top eleven. After an initial preselection process conducted about a year and a half earlier, former provincial secretaries found themselves back in office. Notable names such as José Chulvi in Alicante and Mercedes Caballero, a heavyweight in Valencia, faced scrutiny in some circles who argued Soler did not want to speak as provincial secretary within the national committee framework.
Several regional figures, including Toñi Serna, regional secretary for Cooperation and Democratic Quality, and Toni Frances, Alcoy’s mayor and City Council spokesperson, stepped back or settled into their municipalities after the 2021 primaries that Soler won. Once the slate was approved, Francoist factions stood out as the only group clearly declaring victory. They even boasted about Alicante’s five names in the top twelve. In reality, when Marisa Navarro Forcada—now retired and formerly associated with the UGT and one of the first female officers in Alicante’s Local Police—entered late after Luis’ withdrawal, Leante sat at ten, with José Díaz from Eva Montesinos remaining at twelve. Despite this, many perceived the top three spots as belonging to women from Alicante, a fact celebrated by Francoists as regional balance. The broader takeaway was a strategic shift designed to frame the week ahead as a strategic move by Ángel Franco and his circle, shaping early political narratives for the region.
Head of Consell, for Valencia and full of councilors
Ximo Puig, the Valencian socialist general secretary and head of the Consell, will lead the list for Valencia province, following precedent from 2015 and 2019 when he ran in Castellón. Regional Policy Minister Rebeca Torró will occupy the second slot, and Arcadi will hold the third as the representative for justice, followed by Gabriela Bravo for health and Miguel Mínguez in another key portfolio. In Castellón, Rafa Simó, head of the Port Authority, tops the list, with María José Salvador, deputy president of the Parliamentary Assembly, in second place.
PSPV nomination to the Valencian Courts in Alicante Province
1. Josefina Bueno Alonso 2. Laura Soler Azorín 3. Yaissel Sánchez Central 4. David Bernardo López Lluch 5. Mario Villar García 6. Rosario Navalón García 7. Maite García Madrid 8. José Chulvi Español 9. Ramón Abad Soler 10. Marisa Navarro Forcada 11. Nuria Pina Huertas 12. José Díaz 13. Ana Belén Juárez Pastor 14. José Luis Galiana Davó 15. María José Adsuar Nicolás 16. Rubén Ferrándiz Marcos 17. Carolina Devesa Ferrer 18. José Vicente Ferriziano 19. Lara Lópezéz P Scotto di Tella Manresa 21. Mihaela Bobocescu 22. Gerard Ortiz 23. Olga Abad Sota 24. Óscar Mengual Gomis 25. Carmen Sánchez Mazón 26. Javier Pedro Pelegrín 27. Montserrat Pineda Martínez 28. Ignacio González Lópezánde Navezández 31. Mari Carmen Yuste Rodríguez 32. Sergio Ramírez Ruiz 33. Ana María Poveda Milán 34. Esther González Fernández 35. Jaime Pascual Pascual RESERVES 1. Santiago Escudero 2. María Salud Pastor 3. José Antonio Nieves 4. Maria Angelse R Gualde 5. sendra