War within the PP over Mazón's succession

Valencia / BarcelonaAmid the internal power struggle within the People's Party (PP) to choose Carlos Mazón's successor, the conservatives' spokesperson in the Valencian Parliament, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, asserted this morning that "no one" has proposed him for the position of head of the Valencian Government and that the responsibility for appointing the candidate lies with the PP's national leadership. He made these remarks after the meeting of spokespeople in the Valencian Parliament (Les Corts), in his first public statements since Mazón announced his resignation a week ago. With these words, he emphasized that the ball is now in the court of the national leadership, which has not yet made a decision, also maintaining a veil of secrecy that nonetheless reveals the internal turmoil and succession struggle within the party, as confirmed by numerous knowledgeable sources consulted by ARA. "We want to set the pace," sources from the PP's national leadership on Génova Street in Madrid stated, admitting that the name "has not been decided," just 24 hours before Mazón is scheduled to appear before the commission investigating the devastating floods in the Valencian Parliament (Corts Valencianes).

Amidst uncertainty within the ranks of the People's Party (PP), its leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, chose not to dedicate a single word of his public address on Monday to the Valencian negotiations. Speaking at an event in Melilla, where he convened the party leadership, he did praise the snap elections in Extremadura and reiterated a litany of criticisms directed at the Spanish government, without mentioning the party's main headache. "There are no updates. When we know in the coming hours or days, we will announce it," sources from the party headquarters in Madrid insisted regarding the candidate Feijóo will have to choose. According to them, "the candidate's name will be chosen by the national leadership, as will a candidate in any potential regional elections," and that this will be done "in coordination with the PP of the Valencian Community." This coordination is crucial because the one holding the hot potato that is paralyzing talks with Vox is the Galician leader. "The candidate is one thing, the negotiations are another," the same sources concluded, also declining to provide details of last Friday's meeting between Vox and the Valencian PP. These talks will be led by the Valencian PP, with oversight from the national party headquarters in Madrid, which will not be drafting the agreement. In this context, Pérez Llorca's statements are also understandable. He indicated that he would only consider being the candidate if asked, adding that there are "many qualified people" within his party for the position. "I can't deny that my name is on the table, because I'm the number two in the Valencian PP and the spokesperson in the Valencian Parliament," admitted the PP leader, who also affirmed that there is "ongoing" dialogue and "very fluid communication" between the Valencian and national leadership. The most striking of Pérez Llorca's remarks came when he claimed to be unaware of the meeting between the People's Party (PP) and Vox last Friday to discuss Mazón's successor, a circumstance the far-right party explained publicly in a statement. Vox's Secretary General, Ignacio Garriga, reiterated this Monday on RNE radio that talks cannot progress until "the PP announces who their candidate is" and they can speak directly with him about a policy agreement. He also emphasized Vox's commitment to discretion: "The media circus surrounding the talks with the PP will not be orchestrated by Vox." Sources within the far-right party confirmed this desire to keep all internal details private, adding that they are waiting to begin policy discussions. after the first meetingSources familiar with the situation also report that at the moment there are "no new developments" of any kind in a scenario that remains paralyzed until Feijóo makes a decision. However, they maintain that Pérez Llorca "is not lying." The internal turmoil within the PP is evident in the atmosphere surrounding the talks, as the party navigates a power vacuum left by the resignation of Mazón, whose departure has opened a Pandora's box within the Valencian Community. This has hampered the progress of the negotiations, according to sources, which believe that once a clear candidate is in place, they will only bear fruit if the PP concedes on a series of proposals against the European Green Deal and on immigration—such as the establishment of "national priority." Vox feels empowered to be more demanding than ever and demonstrate its capacity to influence the public. Otherwise, they face "elections," for which they have the advantage of strong poll numbers. In fact, the Vox spokesperson in the Valencian Parliament, José María Llanos, made it clear this Monday that they have "no fear of elections": "We are prepared." The candidate's name is "indifferent" to them, but they want to know in order to discuss the platform, although the name is the PP's biggest obstacle.

The struggle within the PP

Talks to appoint Carlos Mazón's successor have been derailed by the power struggle between the Valencian and national leadership. Following the tumultuous funeral of the victims of the DANA storm and the decision of the head of the Council to foldThe leadership of the Valencian Popular Party promoted Juanfran Pérez Llorca as Mazón's interim replacement and the president of the Valencia Provincial Council, Vicent Mompó, as a potential candidate for 2027. This move was intended to prevent the national leadership from imposing the name of the mayor of Valencia, María José Catalá. The Valencian Popular Party's maneuver greatly angered the PP leadership in Madrid, who have since decided to control the entire leadership transition process.