The reissue of the government deal between the Socialist Party and the European Greens teeters in Villena as the People’s Party seeks to take the Town Hall. The path could open if the Greens and Socialists strike a joint governing pact, or if the PP governs in a minority with programmatic agreements and the support of the environmental party.
In the final vote, Miguel Angel Salguero led the PP with 6,815 votes and nine councilors; the PSOE’s Fulgencio Cerdan secured 5,899 votes and eight councilors; Francisco Iniesta of the European Greens gathered 2,478 votes and three councilors; and Vox entered Villena City Council for the first time with one councilor, Ana Maria Cerdan, after receiving 1,013 votes.
The result of the elections in Villena: PP wins, but will govern if PSOE and Los Verdes agree
With ten more days until municipalities are officially constituted, and ten days having passed since the municipal elections, no decisive contacts have emerged between the Socialists and Greens. Both sides know they hold the key to government, and although they admit ideological proximity to the PSOE rather than the PP, they have publicly stated during the campaign that they can align with the right and have not even drawn a red line in preliminary discussions. Negotiations with the PP remain open, including potential debates over bullfighting or the municipalization of public services in Villena.
PSOE and Greens favor restoring the government deal in Villena
Francisco Iniesta indicated in multiple forums that a reconsideration could happen. The party will make the final decision, and the prevailing faction within it shows reluctance to team up with the Socialist Party again. Some members still carry residual tensions from past governance issues, including the installation of solar power plants in the municipal area, which complicates cooperation.
PSOE in Villena offers a nomination aimed at an absolute majority
The first impression is that Fulgencio Cerdan’s bid to reestablish left-leaning governance in Villena is weakening. After the elections, he believed the progressive majority would once again align with the Greens, who also participated in the vote under the Compromis banner, aligning with broader regional alliances in Valencia. In recent days, however, the Greens’ repeated disengagement from talks with the PSOE while maintaining contact with the PP has begun to sow distrust within the Socialists’ ranks.
Agreement with solar and aquifers in Villena but inconsistencies in municipal government
A simmering frustration revives hope that Miguel Angel Salguero could become the new mayor of Villena. The Popular candidate, bolstered by polls as the city’s most voted option, would explore every avenue to govern. He even proposed negotiating concrete projects with European Greens representatives, independent of partisan conditions and other ideological considerations.
PP mayor in Villena presents his economics team to accompany him in his candidacy
The PP mayorescalates the tension by recalling the hostile environment of negotiations between PSOE and the Greens over the electoral outcome of Iniesta’s group, which lost two councilors while the PSOE gained one. Villena’s recent forward steps under the previous administration are cited as evidence of past difficulties in governing, reinforcing the party’s case for a fresh start.
In this climate, the economic team around the PP candidate has been introduced to support a new governance vision, as the city considers its options for the coming term. The current atmosphere hints at a broader reckoning about who can effectively lead Villena and how coalitions might be formed without destabilizing services or public investments. The dialogue continues, with voters watching closely to see whether negotiations will converge on a stable majority or drift toward minority arrangements with strategic pacts. (Source: local election coverage, attribution pending)