The mayor of Valencia, Joan Ribó, from CompromÃs, has acknowledged this Thursday having invited the second vice president of the Government, Yolanda DÃaz, to participate in his campaign for the next municipal elections of 28M. To questions from journalists, after participating in a conference organized by Nueva EconomÃa Fórum, the mayor of CompromÃs has confessed: “Yes, I have invited her. I don’t know if she will be able to come, she is in a peculiar situation that I am not going to describe because everyone world knows her.”
Ribó, who has stressed that he “understands very well” with the leader of Sumar, wanted to stress that the campaign in Valencia belongs to Valencia and that he would not like it to become a “state-level battlefield” or in the prior to other elections.
The current mayor is aware that the presence of DÃaz would be a harsh affront to Unides Podem, since this formation faces the challenge of once again having representation in a consistory (and it is not easy) for which they have already run out of councilors in 2019. With the addition that the candidate of the coalition for which DÃaz is vice president is the regional coordinator of Podem, Pilar Lima.
In fact, as they have recognized in the purple formation, a letter has already been sent to the vice president’s team asking them to campaign in key places such as Valencia and the Valencian Community, where Unides Podem competes with CompromÃs. At the moment, the answer is not known and the lack of definition is stressing the Valencian pre-campaign.
Already to close his speech at the conference held at the Las Arenas del cap i casal hotel, and without anyone asking him, the mayor wanted to wink (not by chance) to the Galician leader. “It is time to add up and we are working in this direction. Politics with a capital letter is to talk, talk and talk, especially with those who do not think like us.”
In this regard, he has justified the non-union of the left in the municipal ones, admitting that, although he negotiated with Esquerra Unida so that they would join his list, they preferred to go together with Podem, giving coverage and coherence to their regional agreement. “The agreement is sometimes possible and sometimes not”, he has settled.
Asked about the possibility of falling behind the PSPV and, even so, having the opportunity to govern, Ribó has been very clear in answering that he would have no problem being the vice mayor of the socialist candidate Sandra Gómez. The candidate for re-election has indicated that the first objective of CompromÃs is for “progressive forces to win, not for Ribó to be mayor.”
During the conference, in which he reviewed the strengths of his management as head of the City Council, the mayor did not forget to compare his management with other territories. Thus, he has highlighted that, while others drain their wetlands, in reference to Doñana, his government strengthens and protects L’Albufera: “Even the flamingos are migrating from Doñana to the Albufera.” In this line, he has shown his commitment to buy land in the area and create protection spaces for these unique birds.
