The general secretary of the PSPV-PSOE and until the elections held last May, the president of the Generalitat, Ximo Puig, is expected to announce his resignation as party leader at a meeting of the Executive on Monday.
In a speech that colleagues interpreted as a preview of his farewell as leader of the Valencian socialists, he told journalists at a UGT awards ceremony on Friday, “Each stage has its dynamics, and I think it is the time at which in which new winds, new changes and new leadership are needed.”
It seems that Puig is going through a phase of internal reflection about his future. One of the possibilities that has been gaining the most strength since last week is that Puig could be considering the offer made by Pedro Sánchez to be appointed ambassador in Paris of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). A position that would require the former president of the Generalitat to leave his position as general secretary of the PSPV-PSOE and would open wide the door to an extraordinary congress.
As for the million-dollar question of who is going to succeed him as the general secretary, the favourite is the Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant from Gandhia, who enjoys the support of a number of factions within the Valencian socialist family.
It is thought that Puig will remain as general secretary until the party is able to hold an Extraordinary Congress, which could take place next February, and which will probably be convened at the Executive scheduled for this Monday.
