The shock wave of the Ábalos case will have a direct effect on the Valencian socialist federation, where the former minister still has a large group of faithful who have been at his side during the last decades. They are known as “abalistas”, a historical family of the PSPV that was close to taking over the reins of the party when they tried to relegate Ximo Puig to a secondary role at an organic level.
A family that still maintains representation in different Valencian institutions, from the Corts Valencianes to town halls such as Valencia. Furthermore, the former minister and his followers decidedly opted to support the provincial secretary in Alicante, Alejandro Soler, who was close to confirming his candidacy to fight for the general secretary of the PSPV against Diana Morant.
The “abalist” family already suffered a severe setback when he was removed from the Government and the Organization Secretariat of the PSOE. In fact, in the last PSPV congress held in Benidorm, and from which Ximo Puig was elected by an overwhelming majority, those loyal to Ábalos maintained their organic pulse until the last minute to achieve a share of power that was already very threatened. Nothing to do with what happened when he was appointed minister and number two of the PSOE; time in which an Ábalos loyalist, Rafael García, mayor of Burjassot, presented a candidacy for the PSPV primaries in 2017 against Ximo Puig himself, who was already president of the Generalitat Valenciana. Operation designed by Ferraz, and articulated by the former minister, which did not succeed, but which demonstrated that “abalism” had a life of its own within the PSPV.
But these are past scenarios. Yesterday, sources from the party’s acting leadership pointed out that the “abalistas” are going to be completely disarmed after their decision to move to the mixed group and stand up to the party. A scenario that leaves this family without the capacity to operate in the extraordinary congress of the PSPV that will be held in March to ratify the leadership of Diana Morant.
Another of the consequences that are being considered is that the options of Alejandro Soler, national deputy and person who has maintained a certain harmony with Ferraz since the emergence of Pedro Sánchez, will also be weakened. Beyond squaring up the presence of Soler and the also pre-candidate and secretary of the PSPV in Valencia, Carlos Fernández Bielsa, in the new executive (the man from Alicante will be president and the Valencian will be deputy general secretary), one of Diana Morant’s problems was being able to integrate to the faithful of both on their team.
Several leaders consulted by this newspaper believe that now the Minister of Science should rely more on her own people and those of Bielsa, and that it is likely that, even if she keeps Soler as president, the share of power of her political environment is in question. .
“Diana Morant cannot count on the people who until now have closed ranks with Ábalos, it would be a bad start for her executive,” these sources pointed out, convinced that the March congress “will mean the definitive end of the abalism in the PSPV ”. This statement is forceful and reflects the discomfort of a sector of Valencian socialism, which wanted the Ábalos case to be resolved with the return of its deputies’ record. They also fear that the former minister is an “uncomfortable character” for Valencian socialism, since he has been part of this federation throughout his life and knows its plumbing very well.
What is likely, they point out, is that many of her loyalists will now try to renounce their history and reposition themselves in favor of Diana Morant to try to retain guarantees in order to continue participating in the organic life of the party and, in the future, be able to apply for a position. either in regional or municipal lists.
The end of Ábalos in the PSPV is also the end of an era and a way of understanding the game. The former minister has always shown himself to be a rocky politician, outside and inside the party, resistant and willing to fight until the end. In the past he even tried to win the general secretary against Joan Ignasi Pla and controlled, during Ximo Puig’s time, the provincial secretary of the party, which he lost in the last congress.
The “abalism” has come to an end, according to these sources and what happened today in Madrid will have short-term consequences
