There is no need to wait for Ximo Puig to become the head of PSPV. Possible candidates take their places, but they wait tensely for the referee’s signal to start. Names have been on the table for weeks, yet no one wants to be the first to run for general secretary of the Valencian socialists, because a blank start invites disqualification. Everything is on pause for now.
At this stage the shortlist appears clear and centers on Science Minister Diana Morant and Valencia and Alicante state secretaries Carlos Fernández Bielsa and Alejandro Soler. The two local officials have indicated they are prepared to wait, and no formal move is expected before 2024. The card that could trigger the next sequence of events seems to rest with Diana Morant. The former mayor of Gandia has kept a cautious silence about moving to succeed Puig as PSPV general secretary, but many eyes remain on him, including Bielsa and Soler.
His continued presence in the Council of Ministers and Santos Cerdán’s recent visits are read as signals that he has the joint backing of Ferraz, represented by Pedro Sánchez, and Puig. The expectation is that he might harmonize the factions and prevent a direct clash between influential families. This matters because it could soften the image of the candidate favored by Morant’s orbit.
Morant, however, shows no rush. Sources inside the party note that the organization has not acted and that the leadership does not anticipate action before the next national committee meeting on January 8. From this gathering will come the formal call for an extraordinary congress to name Puig’s successor, so any move would align with the unwritten tradition of not obstructing official protocol. The party is viewed with cautious optimism.
That same restraint reaches Bielsa and Soler. Political theory recommends patience while monitoring other possible contenders. When a consensus begins to form, the longer they hold their positions, the more influence and organic power they accumulate. In critical sectors, Morant’s reluctance to declare intentions suggests she does not see a clear majority.
With no clear action from the key figures, local factions could act as catalysts. Time will reveal how the different groups respond, especially mayors close to each potential candidate who may be tempted to take risks and move forward, believing that their moment has arrived.
Meetings, dinners, and informal gatherings have been taking place in the socialist townhouses known as local and regional headquarters. In these venues, various candidates are testing the pulse of the membership and beginning to establish their positions. Similar informal movements have already occurred in l’Horta Nord and Valencia.
Puig defends debt relief and urges PP to go for it
Former president and socialist senator Ximo Puig argued in the Upper House yesterday that the shift in the regional financing system is an issue that cannot be ignored in this chamber. According to the PSPV leader, an opportunity is opening to reach consensus and the only path to it is conversation. The PP-controlled plenary session of the Senate called on the Government to abandon any bilateral debt or financing negotiations with any of the autonomies regarding Catalonia.
The Popular Party carried out the initiative with its majority, but Puig contended in his remarks that debt forgiveness could extend to all regions and that autonomies are favorable for public funds. He urged the PP to reach an agreement. The leader of the Valencian socialists emphasized that the consequences of inadequate financing and the pandemic must be taken into account in any debt relief and asked the PP leaders to consider the models seen in Madrid or Andalusia. He suggested that the two main parties cannot seem to get along and do not want to, and pointed out that the PP’s problem is a reluctance to accept electoral results. He urged them to acknowledge defeat and move forward. In his view, some governments he does not like, including far-right administrations, still manage to maintain some level of cooperation, while others fail to do so when it matters most.