Since 2015, Ximo Puig's ability to influence to locate a person he trusted in the Government Delegation in the Valencian Community was nil. In the early years, because he governed the PP and decided Mariano Rajoy's team. But with Pedro Sánchez as president, and with José Luís Ábalos as Minister of Development and Secretary of Organization of the PSOE, the Valencian president could not influence either given the rivalry that both the PSOE and the PSPV had with Ábalos.
In fact, it was the former Minister of Development who appointed Juan Carlos Fulgencio as delegate, and later Gloria Calero, after the decision to dispense with Fulgencio.
Yesterday, however, and after learning that Calero was stepping down as head of the Government in the Valencian Community to be appointed territorial senator, it was learned that Pilar Bernabé would be the new Government delegate. A radical turn, because in this case Ximo Puig has been able to influence the placement of a person of his utmost confidence in this position and, at the same time, completely put an end to the "abalism" in the institutions. The decline of José Luís Ábalos, who was removed from the Government and the Secretary of Organization of the PSOE in 2021, has caused that little by little his most faithful followers have lost power in the institutions and in the party.
The appointment of Pilar Bernabé, who has developed almost her entire political life in the Valencia City Council, as an advisor and later as a councilor, is also a reinforcement for the Valencian president in order to strengthen his claim against the Government on issues such as Valencian financing , the situation of the Cercanías or the lack of execution of the investments of the State in the Valencian Community.
And it was also valued that her appointment will serve to catapult a young politician who could play a key role in socialism in the city of Valencia, which now has Sandra Gómez as spokesperson, deputy mayor and organizational leader.
From the Valencian Consell, optimism was not hidden yesterday before the appointment of Bernabé, who joined Aitana Mas as a substitute for Mónica Oltra in the vice presidency, in the spokesperson and in the Ministry of Equality and Inclusive Policies. An appointment that will take place next Thursday and that will mean -along with that of the new delegate- the last touches before facing a final stretch of the legislature with the wind and the polls against it.
Although the socialist party insists that Oltra's departure can help reduce tension - on both sides they already recognize that the relationship between the president and the vice president was withered - Compromís insists that "people are different, but Compromís and their priorities are the same”. They indicate that "if the PSPV thinks that now it is going to have it easier, they are wrong" and they understand that Mas will defend "the party's positions with the same vehemence".
They admit that everyone is interested in a calm transit until the elections but for this they expect everyone's collaboration. "Everyone has a good mood until it's their turn to sit down to negotiate with the PSPV," they point out in Compromís. In this line, they point out that the commitment of the Botànic in the context of the current crisis must be to reinforce, even more, social policies in a brave and daring way.
For this, it is important to see what changes Mas introduces in the Oltra team. Sources from the Ministry explain that the normal thing would be for the new vice president to seek to make her own team but to use senior officials who have been working with Oltra since 2015 since time is running out, there is no margin and you have to catch up now.
