The PSPV maneuvers to distance itself from Ábalos
A complicated week for the PSPV (and those to come). The devastating report from the UCO (Union of the Workers' Union) has forced the PSOE's second largest federation to change its strategy and go on the defensive after months of continuous attacks on Carlos Mazón over the incident. The party's situation is extremely delicate, as evidenced by yesterday's entry by judicial police officers into the Ferraz headquarters. The PSPV is trying to escape the looming political tsunami and distance itself as much as possible from José Luis Ábalos, the Valencian leader embroiled in a plot rife with audio recordings and compromising revelations. A strategy that, for now, involves strictly following the line set by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Read also Where are the 'abalists'? Salvador Enguix
While on Tuesday, the PSOE leader sent a letter to the membership in which he apologized but defended the party's cleanup and spoke of a demolition operation, two days later, the secretary general of the PSPV, Diana Morant, followed suit and issued another letter to her supporters. The minister argued for her party's "zero tolerance" for corruption and its difference from the PP when it comes to responding to cases of irregularities. "We apologize, we rectify, and we accept responsibility. They don't," wrote the socialist leader, defending the dignity of the party. "We denounce corrupt practices; others cover them up and protect them, even viewing them as normal," Sánchez had noted in her letter. Both sought the understanding of their supporters at a time of low morale among the troops.
Diana Morant's letter to the militants.
LVAs this newspaper has been reporting, the party is in shock. Mayors and representatives are fearful that this case will take them down, and they are also fearful of what might happen in the future. Therefore, all this week the Socialists have tried to create a firewall and distance themselves from what happened.
On Tuesday, Government Delegate Pilar Bernabé described the audio recordings of Koldo García and José Luis Ábalos sharing women as "disgusting and nauseating." "They disgust all socialists and all progressives," the virtual candidate for Mayor of Valencia stated. On Thursday, the PP and Vox outshone the PSPV in the Equality Committee of the Valencian Parliament after forcing the parliamentary calendar to convene a debate on prostitution. Incidentally, the conservative parties voted against the measures to punish johns that the Socialists have long championed.
Read also PP and Vox reject PSPV's anti-prostitution measures in a harsh debate over the Ábalos case. Hector Sanjuán
The Socialist Ombudsman in the Valencian Parliament, José Muñoz, has also attempted to avoid contagion by recalling that Ábalos was the internal enemy of the leadership led by Ximo Puig , of which he was the organization secretary. The parliamentary spokesperson asserted that the PSPV is led by "a new generation" of politicians "proud heirs of Puig" with no ties to Ábalos. He even justified the former organization secretary's inclusion on the lists in 2023 as a gesture unrelated to the PSPV. Not even the few remaining Ábalos supporters have come out to defend him.
The truth is that while the Socialists have spent the week defending themselves, the president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Carlos Mazón, has managed to escape the national spotlight. As important representatives of the PSPV feared last week, everything that has come to light these past few days has only benefited the Popular Party leader, who has seen the spotlight shift away from him. In fact, in recent days, albeit with a certain discretion and secrecy, Mazón has enjoyed the Alicante Bonfires and made himself visible, something that, let's remember, didn't happen during the Fallas until the very night of the Cremà . And now, the problems have switched sides, for the time being.
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