The PSOE of Extremadura is already in the race to succeed its Secretary General after 15 years in office of the former President of the Government of Extremadura, Guillermo Fernández Vara. However, the path began after the regional elections of May 28, when, despite their electoral victory, the Socialists were unable to maintain the autonomous government they held in the previous two legislative periods due to the People's Party's agreement with Vox. a coalition in the executive branch. The disappointment over the insufficient majority also led to the end of Vara as party leader, as the veteran socialist politician announced on election evening. After a few months of silence marked by the formation of the central government, Extremadura's party bodies resumed their activities at the beginning of this year. And after the meeting of the regional board last weekend, the change in the PSOE of Extremadura already has a date: the new general secretary will be elected on March 2nd.
This Saturday the militants will be called to vote and if they do not choose one of the candidates for more than 50% of the vote, they will go to the polls again in a second round to choose between the two candidates with the most votes , back on March 9th. Sources from the PSOE's national leadership tell EL PAÍS that the party is not opting for any of the pre-candidatures presented in Extremadura. The outgoing Guillermo Fernández Vara has also shown no preference.
Three names are the socialist leaders who have already announced their intention to write the future of the party that has governed Extremadura most often and for the longest time: the president of the Provincial Council of Badajoz and mayor of Villanueva de la Serena, Miguel Ángel Gallardo; the Vice President of the Assembly of Extremadura, Lara Garlito; and former Health Minister José María Vergeles.
The first to announce to the public his desire to succeed former President Vara was 49-year-old Miguel Ángel Gallardo. Since 2003, he has been mayor of Villanueva de la Serena (Badajoz, 25,750 inhabitants) with an absolute majority and, for the last two terms, president of the Provincial Council of Badajoz. Gallardo assures that he welcomes the process with great strength and enthusiasm and that for him the elections, which will bring about a change in the socialist formation, are a means to change the government of Extremadura and the policies of the PP and Vox finish. “I offer to change the party by reorienting it towards local politics, with politics that has a human face and a different way of working. Those who are attached to people's problems and their illusions have a greater ability to identify with them.” “A society that makes us wait,” says the potential candidate. Gallardo emphasizes that his motto “The value of the word” contradicts what he believes the popular President María Guardiola has done in the region, because although he assured that he would never agree with Vox, he ended up including the ultras a his managing director. He also assures that if he is not elected Secretary General, he will not be represented “in any executive branch”.
The second preliminary candidacy is that of Lara Garlito, Vice President of the Assembly of Extremadura, who has held important positions in the PSOE of Extremadura in recent terms, as Vice President General of the party or as Speaker of the Parliament. The politician, born 38 years ago in Cáceres, claims to face this process with great strength, energy and hope: “I offer a united, strong, renewed party, based on its foundations, but also on what it was, on what “what she was.” is. and what a new generation is ready to give, where we know how to address the problems of today's society.” He advocates that the party emerges from the elections stronger and united.
And the third to announce his decision to succeed Guillermo Fernández Vara was one of the president's closest advisers during his governments: José María Vergeles (Fuente del Maestre, Badajoz, 55 years old), former Minister of Health and former second vice president of the Extremadura joint. He welcomes the process in principle and is proud that a group of activists believed that he could offer a common project and continue to make the PSOE of Extremadura strong: “I offer more participation, a more lively debate, especially in the city. “Houses, but also promote other technologies that allow us to confront these models of participation, as well as support for colleagues who are in local governments and in opposition.” Although he faces the primaries “without opponents”, he considers an agreement to be a unified one Candidacy not currently considered practical.
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Once each of the pre-candidatures has been registered and confirmed, the candidates will have until February 14 to present their endorsement: at least 6% of the count of militants completed on February 1. From this moment on, it will be the Ethics Committee of the PSOE of Extremadura that will approve the candidacies, which will then become official; The election campaign will take place from February 16th to March 1st.
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