The provincial secretary of the PSPV in Alicante, Alejandro Soler, presented this afternoon in Elx, his city, his candidacy to lead the PSPV to replace Ximo Puig. His decision means questioning the will of Ferraz, who is betting on Diana Morant to lead the Valencian federation and be the head of the list for the regional elections of 2027. In presenting his candidacy, Soler pointed out that "in our party, militancy rules, No vote is worth more than another." Furthermore, in a clear message to Ferraz, he added that "I firmly believe in a party in which the general secretary is elected by the militancy, not by any leader."
At the event, he was surrounded by numerous militants and prominent members of the Valencian federation. With him they have been able to see, among others, the former secretary of the PSPV of Castellón and regional deputy, Ernest Blanch; to the regional representative Mercedes Soler, very close to José Luís Ábalos, to the mayor of Elda, Rubén Alfaro or the former socialist councilor in Valencia, Aaron Cano, among many others.
Asked if he is going to keep the negotiation open with the other possible candidates - Diana Morant and Carlos Fernández Bielsa -, Soler stressed that this path will always be open "as well as listening to what the militancy wants." Furthermore, he has indicated that he has informed Ferraz and the other possible candidates that he has taken the step.
The attempts to form a consensus candidacy of the Valencian socialists to peacefully establish the replacement of Ximo Puig at the head of the PSPV have failed. If there is no surprise, there will be three candidates who will face each other in primaries. The first to take the step this afternoon was the provincial president in Alicante and national deputy, Alejandro Soler. And it is expected that before Tuesday, the deadline to present candidacies, the Minister of Science and Universities, Diana Morant, and the provincial president in Valencia and mayor of Mislata, Carlos Fernández Bielsa, will also do so.
This was not the scenario desired by Ferraz, who is betting on Diana Morant to lead the Valencian federation and be the candidate in the 2027 regional elections. Throughout the week, the minister's team, made up of the group close to Ximo Puig, She has been negotiating with Soler a possible pact with a candidacy in which she was to be the general secretary of the PSPV. It was also sought that the leader of Alicante not present a candidacy.
But everything failed on Thursday afternoon. Sources close to Soler described Diana's proposal as “humiliating.” Hours later, he announced that he was going to take the step, a decision that was staged this afternoon surrounded by faithful.
Diana Morant, who will possibly present her candidacy on Tuesday, insisted yesterday that she is still willing to “negotiate” with Soler to avoid a dog-eared primary. But there remains a third candidate, Carlos Fernández Bielsa, who could formalize his profile next Monday. Bielsa has important organic support in the province of Valencia. The three candidates would face a first round that would be held on February 25, and a second on March 3.
Soler's decision completely alters the internal scenario of the PSPV. Once the three formalize their candidacies, the collection of endorsements and the electoral campaign will begin. Sources from the different families recognize that none of the three is guaranteed victory in the primaries, so it is assumed that there will be a second round.
