Mónica Oltra announces return to politics to contest Valencia mayoralty
The former Valencian vice-president takes the step despite the decision of the Valencia Court of Appeal to send her to trial
BarcelonaThe former Valencian vice-president Mónica Oltra (Compromís) is returning to politics. Oltra resigned from all her positions in 2022 following the judicial case against her for the alleged cover-up of sexual abuse committed by her ex-husband against a minor in her care. One year before the municipal elections, the former Compromís leader is taking a step forward to be the coalition's candidate for mayor of Valencia, currently governed by the PP and Vox. She announced this at the Iniciativa-Compromís congress this Saturday, accepting the request the party had made to her a few weeks ago to run as a candidate in the 2027 municipal elections in Valencia. This Saturday, Compromís deputy Alberto Ibáñez reiterated this to her: "If you want, we want you to be the next mayor of Valencia." "It is time to break the darkness. I accept the challenge," she replied.
The announcement was met with applause from the membership, who gave Oltra a standing ovation when she entered the congress at La Petxina in Valencia. The former Compromís leader thanked the coalition for bringing her out of the "refuge of silence" after four years of what she described as a "judicial right-wing" persecution against her. The former Equality minister is on the verge of trial for the alleged cover-up of sexual abuse of a minor in her care by her ex-husband, Luis Eduardo Ramírez, who has been convicted of these acts. The Provincial Court of Valencia has upheld the accusation against the instructor's criteria, which had requested the case be dismissed, and also against the public prosecutor's office. With this decision, the Court has sided with the different far-right organizations representing the victim and acting as popular prosecutors.
Despite being out of the spotlight, the possibility of Oltra returning to the political arena had been on the table for days. As published by ARA, Oltra was considering leading a candidacy that would go beyond Compromís, in the context of reformulating alliances in the space to the left of the PSOE. All of this coincides with the upheavals the coalition has faced with its split in Congress and the move of Àgueda Micó –from the Més party, which brings together the sovereignist sector– to the mixed group.
The current spokesperson for Compromís in the València City Council, Papi Robles, has blessed her candidacy and taken for granted that Oltra will also represent the party's acronyms in this new stage. "We are very happy to know that Mónica has made the decision to return to the political front line hand in hand with Compromís," she celebrated in a statement where she defined her as "the best possible candidate." When she left politics, Oltra returned to her work as a lawyer and mediator. Both Compromís and Oltra have maintained that the trial she faces is a case of lawfare against her and the former members of her cabinet who will also sit on the accused's bench.
Comuns, Más Madrid, and the PSPV celebrate it
The news has been received with enthusiasm by various formations of the Sumar political space, from Comuns to Más Madrid. "She is a great leader of our political space. We have shared many battles with her and we have also suffered this lawfare", stressed the coordinator of Comuns, Candela López, in statements to the media. "We have missed you", added the Minister of Health, Mónica García, in a message on X.
The Valencian socialists have also expressed satisfaction with the announcement, aware that the options of recovering the mayorship in Valencia imply an understanding between the lefts – as happened, precisely, with the government of the Botànic pact of Ximo Puig, of which Oltra was a part –. "It is good news for everyone. We will do it again", celebrated the leader of the PSPV and Minister of Science, Diana Morant. If her candidacy is ratified, Oltra will compete with the socialist candidate for mayor, Pilar Bernabé, current delegate of the Spanish government in the Valencian Country.
The PP is currently the leading force in the Valencia City Council: the mayor María José Catalá governs, with 13 out of 33 seats. Compromís is the second force in the city council, with 9 councilors, ahead of the Valencian socialists, with 7, and Vox, which has 4. The PP has already criticized Oltra's move, arguing that she "would never be a candidate" for the popular party given the seriousness of the accusations against her and the trial she faces.
