This Monday, Ximo Puig presented his resignation as territorial senator representing the Valencian Community, as announced by Las Provincias and confirmed by this newspaper. His resignation is the previous step to embark on the project of Spanish ambassador to the OECD, based in Paris. The Spanish Government could approve his appointment to the Council of Ministers tomorrow, Tuesday, as expected from those around him.
Ximo Puig’s decision is conditioned by the “step back” that he announced last December to stop being general secretary of the PSPV. That decision was accompanied by his resignation from maintaining the seat of regional deputy in Les Corts Valencianes, keeping only the record of senator. However, on the table, Ximo Puig had the offer of being Spain’s ambassador to the OECD, a possibility that was always very attractive to him, as he told this newspaper in an interview.
The decision adopted today means for the former Valencian president to close a long period of institutional positions to face a new personal and professional project. Puig began in politics as chief of staff of Valencian President Joan Lerma; He was mayor of Morella from 1995 to June 2012 and has been a national and regional deputy in different legislatures. His great achievement: gaining the Presidency of the Generalitat in 2015, achieving a historic change for the left after 20 years of PP government. He served two terms until the defeat of last March 28.
After his departure, the leadership of the PSPV will be in the hands of the Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant, who will be ratified as the new leader of the Valencian federation at the extraordinary congress in March.
Her replacement as territorial senator will be Eva Redondo. The socialist leader was a delegate of the Consell in Castelló and chief of staff of the mayor of Castelló, Amparo Marco.
