In Xixona, another government arrangement fell apart as two Liberal councilors, Javier Gutiérrez and José Martínez, stepped away from the local administration. They announced their departure this Thursday morning, breaking the coalition with the PSPV-PSOE that had been in place since September 2020. The arrangement, formed during the pandemic when the Socialists led a minority government under Mayor Isabel López, is now in flux. This latest split marks a second rupture in the l’Alacantí area in a short span, following a similar upheaval in Sant Joan d’Alacant where Cs and PSPV also faced a redefining moment after a tumultuous period. The Liberal bloc appears to be aligning more with the People’s Party. Reports describe the Liberal leadership’s surprise at the move, which comes three and a half months after local elections. Source: INFORMACIÓN and local coverage.
Gutiérrez and Martínez cited a series of disagreements with the PSPV as the reason for stepping down from the Executive, including disputes over the Piedra Negra landfill expansion and the latest socialist proposal for a new sports center. Yet the underlying tension seems deeper. The core issue, according to the Liberals, was a bid to secure two of the three Cs seats already informally negotiated, Martínez and Eduardo Ferrer, who reportedly faced pressure from the socialist camp. The Liberal leadership insisted they had not abandoned the government deal; rather, they aimed to stabilize governance from within while other forces like Compromís threatened to destabilize. The stated aim, in their view, was to manage the situation pragmatically inside the administration. Source: INFORMACIÓN.
PP’s influence surfaces
Mayor López, who learned of the news from the press, suggested a deliberate influence from the PP behind the departure and argued that the coalition was breaking as elections approach and outside interests loom. In a direct message to local residents, López asserted that the PSPV still controlled the municipal government and that the two Cs mayors would not alter the course of the administration. He rejected claims that he had proposed deals with Martínez and Ferrer, labeling those assertions as attempts to justify a controversial move. He noted that the coalition could have ended sooner if Gutiérrez had not already resigned from Urbanismo in September. The councilor from Jijón added that the timing was less about responsibility and more about electoral calculations. Source: INFORMACIÓN and local reporting.
Single-list dynamics
In Sant Joan, the pact fractured when Cs and the PP announced plans to present a single list for the upcoming municipal elections, a move that followed the Liberals forming part of a government with the PSPV. After days of intense exchanges and mutual recriminations, the agreement fell apart, giving way to a new alliance between Cs and the PP. Mazón expressed satisfaction at the apparent “homecoming” of mayor Santiago Román, signaling a broader consolidation on the center-right. Source: INFORMACIÓN and local analysis.
Interestingly, two Cs representatives were implicated in the splits in both Xixona and Sant Joan. Gutiérrez and vice-president Julia Parra, who also serves as mayor of Sant Joan, are connected to the PP through their Liberal alignment, fueling speculation about how Mazón may proceed with future signings. Source: INFORMACIÓN and political commentary.
Online discussions amplified the drama. Xixona’s mayor Isabel López used her Facebook page to comment on the development after hearing about it from INFORMACIÓN. The exchange sparked sharp debate as fellow Cs councilor Gutiérrez weighed in, challenging López’s stance and asking whether he remained part of the Liberal establishment. Other social media users accused Gutiérrez of clinging to a fragile hold, intensifying the online scrutiny. Source: INFORMACIÓN and social media coverage.
Parties, positions, and the road ahead
The broader pattern of disagreements between liberals and socialists in Xixona has long been an open secret in local politics, and the current departures did not come as a surprise to many. Observers note that the Sant Joan episode, which unfolded just weeks earlier, points to an attempt by Mazón’s PP to expand its influence. Cs appears to be testing its capacity to grow in the center-right by leveraging a moment of political vulnerability within the governing coalition. PSPV general secretary Ximo Puig has underscored in public remarks that once an agreement is reached, it should be honored, highlighting the fragility of such coalitions when strategic recalibrations occur. Source: INFORMACIÓN and party statements.
In Sant Joan, the breakup was followed by discussions about presenting a single electoral list for the next municipal elections. The Liberals, who had joined the government with the PSPV, faced renewed tension and mutual accusations as the two blocs renegotiated. Mazón welcomed the revival of alliances that favored the right, suggesting a broader consolidation of support. Source: INFORMACIÓN and political analysis.
The pattern shows that the two Cs representatives involved in the expulsions in Xixona and Sant Joan—Gutiérrez and Julia Parra—are closely tied to the PP through what observers call a Liberal-to-Popular transfer. It is even speculated that Mazón could target them for future appointments as part of the center-right strategy. Source: INFORMACIÓN and local political commentary.
Social media reactions continued to roil around the events. Lopez’s post on the mayor’s Facebook page and the responses from party colleagues sparked a cascade of discussions about party alignments and loyalties. Some users described the political shifts as a desperate bid to shore up influence, while others framed the events as a legitimate reconfiguration of power in the region. Source: INFORMACIÓN and user discussions.