PSOE concludes regional congresses with few primaries and limited criticism

The PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) has wrapped up its regional congresses with minimal primaries and only two leaders opposing the party's alignment with Ferraz. Pedro Sánchez’s tour across Spain, supporting the newly elected secretaries of the socialist federations, concluded this Saturday, with the final stops in the Balearic Islands and Navarra. Out of all the congresses held since January, only three had primaries: Extremadura, Cantabria, and Murcia. Among the most critical figures of Sánchez's leadership, only two remain: Miguel Ángel Gallardo from Extremadura and Emiliano García-Page from Castilla-La Mancha. With this lineup, the PSOE now sets its sights on the 2027 general elections, focusing on strengthening its territorial power.

At the PSOE’s 41st Federal Congress in December, the general secretary made it clear: "Our priority is to win the 2027 regional, municipal, and general elections across Spain." Following this, the party’s machinery went into full gear, with five ministers — María Jesús Montero, Pilar Alegría, Óscar López, Diana Morant, and Ángel Víctor Torres — positioning themselves to lead federations in Andalusia, Aragón, Madrid, Valencia, and the Canary Islands. Three of them successfully replaced their predecessors without the need for internal battles.

Juan Espadas, the former leader of the PSOE in Andalusia, stepped aside to make way for Montero, who assumed leadership of the federation on February 21. Pilar Alegría’s only challenger, Darío Villagrasa, lost support and withdrew from the race. Alegría officially became the leader on March 23. Óscar López, former right-hand man to Sánchez and current minister, faced a more tumultuous path to leading the PSOE of Madrid. After the controversy surrounding the recording of messages related to alleged tax crimes involving Isabel Díaz Ayuso's partner, López emerged victorious on February 2.

Only three federations held primary elections: Cantabria, Murcia, and Extremadura. In Cantabria, Pablo Zuloaga, the former secretary general, refused to compete against Pedro Casares, who ultimately took leadership. In Murcia, Francisco Lucas won the primaries, though both he and his opponent Diego Conesa were aligned with the socialist leadership. Extremadura’s primaries saw a real contest, with Miguel Ángel Gallardo, a critical figure, defeating Esther Gutiérrez, the candidate supported by Sánchez's inner circle.

Gallardo’s victory in Extremadura marked the only significant challenge to Sánchez’s influence. Sánchez’s alignment with Gutiérrez was part of an effort to replace Gallardo, who had opposed agreements with separatists, like the unique financing deal for Catalonia. Sánchez attended Gallardo's coronation in January, which was the only significant setback for the Ferraz-led faction in these limited primaries.

Despite this, Emiliano García-Page, president of Castilla-La Mancha and a consistent critic of Sánchez within the party, remains in power. Sánchez made efforts to normalize relations with García-Page and Gallardo at their respective congresses, even as García-Page voiced dissatisfaction with the migrant relocation agreement. With the regional congresses concluded, attention now shifts to provincial and local congresses, and voices within the party are already setting their sights on the pre-campaign for the 2027 elections, which will begin in earnest after 2026 local elections.