ELECTION 28M: Chulvi’s PSOE “wins” election but without absolute majority

Sunday 28th May 2023
Mike Smith

José Chulvi has, in principle, secured a fourth term at the helm of the town council in Xàbia after attracting almost 35% of the vote in today’s municipal elections and securing nine seats on the council. However, he can no longer rely on an absolute majority after support for his socialist party dropped by over a fifth compared to 2019 and must now rely on a pact with another party, almost certainly CPJ, to obtain the 11 councillors needed to claim that majority.

However the Partido Popular (PP), led by Rosa Cardona who should be quite satisfied by securing eight seats on the council after its support rose by almost 65% compared to 2019 and almost doubled its share of 2014, might gain enough support from other parties to take control.

The key seems to lie with the independent party Ciudadanos por Jávea (CPJ) which retains its two seats on the council and Vox which won its first seat of the council and will be represented by José Marcos Pons. If they both choose to form an alliance with PP, then Rosa Cardona will be the new mayor of Xàbia. If the former chooses a pact with PSOE, then Xàbia remains red for a fourth term and José Chulvi continues his project. Everything remains open for the next couple of weeks until the local government body is officially constituted on Saturday 17th June.

Elsewhere, Compromís loses a seat to claim just one representative on the council whilst Podemos failed to win enough support to win a seat.

The Provisional Results

PSOE – 3,054 (9 seats) ⇩ 2
PP – 3,020 (8 seats) ⇧ 3
CPJ – 941 votes (2 seats) no change
Vox – 675 votes (1 seat) ⇧ 1
Compromís – 593 votes (1 seat) ⇩ 1
Podemos – 368 votes (no seats)

Turnout: 60.54% (2019: 55.43%)

Provisional List of 21 Councillors

José Chulvi Español (PSOE)
Kika Mata Sapena (PSOE)
Alberto Tur Buigues (PSOE)
Isabel Moreno Hernández (PSOE)
Ximo Segarra Fornés (PSOE)
Rosana Sapena Codina (PSOE)
Sergio Camarasa Hernández (PSOE)
Rita Berruti Fuentes (PSOE)
Josep Vicent Miralles (PSOE)
Rosa Vicenta Cardona Vives (PP)
Enrique José Escriva Terán (PP)
Teresa Soledad Legay Fornes (PP)
Pere Joan Sapena Segarra (PP)
Fatima Jarjor Soler (PP)
Antonio Molina Canet (PP)
Juan Luis Cardona Salvador (PP)
Juan José García Pastor (PP)
Mavi Pérez (CPJ)
Juan Ortolá (CPJ)
José Marcos Pons (Vox)
Carme Català Caturla (Compromís per Xàbia)

Diputaciones Provinciales – Provisional Results

Alicante

PP – 40.73% · 14 seats ⇧ 5
PSOE – 25.94% · 8 seats ⇩ 1
Vox – 14.33% · 2 seats ⇧ 2
Compromís – 7.37% · 2 seats –
Podemos – 5.02% · 1 seat ⇩ 1
Cs – 3.20% · no seats ⇩ 5

Castellón

PP – 35.89% · 11 seats ⇧ 4
PSOE – 28.27% · 9 seats ⇩ 1
Vox – 13.39% · 4 seats ⇧ 3
Compromís – 11.85% · 3 seats –
Podemos – 3.41% · no seats ⇩ 2
Cs – 2.17% · no seats ⇩ 4

Valencia

PP – 36.62% · 13 seats ⇧ 5
Compromís – 23.96% · 9 seats ⇩ 1
PSOE – 18.97% · 7 seats –
Vox – 12.47% · 4 seats ⇧ 2
Cs – 2.31% · no seats ⇩ 6

Comunidad Valenciana – Provisional Results

PP – 35.37% (40 seats) ⇧ 21
PSOE – 28.35% (31 seats) ⇧ 4
Compromís – 14.30% (15 seats) ⇩ 2
Vox – 12.41% (13 seats) ⇧ 3
Podemos – 3.50% · no seats ⇩ 8
Cs – 1.48% · no seats ⇩ 18

The next president of the Generalitat Valenciana is to be PP’s Carlos Mazón, replacing PSOE’s Ximo Puig who has held the reins of power at the Corts Valencians since 2015. Although Mazón doesn’t have an absolute majority of 50, his party is likely to team up with Vox, the right-wing populism party which was created after a split from the PP in 2014 which won 13 seats in the election, a pact that would provide a 53 seat coalition majority.