The opening of investigation proceedings by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office concerning the Mayor of València, María José Catalá, two councilors from her government, and the President of the Port Authority, for the alleged irregular re-employment of former employees of the Consorcio València 2007 into municipal and port bodies, opens a judicial front of uncertain scope. This development is already significantly impacting the strategies of political parties ahead of the 2027 election campaign, which is anticipated to be highly charged.

Catalá herself framed the complaint by Compromís as the start of the 2027 electoral race, stating: “If Compromís has decided that the campaign begins in the Prosecutor's Office, then fine.” When asked about the meaning of that “then fine,” the mayor clarified with a veiled warning: “I will be a very active collaborator with the Prosecutor's Office.”

Popular party sources interpret that “then fine” as a deeper message: Catalá's team would be willing to engage on the same ground if the confrontation moves to the judicial sphere, aiming to make the electoral campaign “unbreathable” for their rivals. Indeed, this is not unfamiliar territory for the Popular Party, which in previous legislatures, particularly between 2015 and 2019, resorted to lawsuits and complaints as a tool to wear down the government of Joan Ribó.

The sequence of events over the past 48 hours helps explain the shift in the debate towards this political-judicial arena. On Tuesday, it became known that the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office had opened proceedings following a complaint by Compromís for alleged crimes of prevarication and influence peddling. Hours later, Catalá appeared to downplay the Public Prosecutor's move, calling it a routine “procedure” and labeling Compromís's accusation as “grotesque.”

However, that same night, eldiario.es published the transcript of audio recordings of the Councilor for Major Projects, José Marí Olano, which added another layer to the case. In these recordings, the councilor allegedly encouraged consortium workers to participate in selection processes and even suggested the possibility of adapting the calls for applications. The opposition announced an expansion of the complaint to include Olano's audios, accusing him of possible crimes of prevarication, disclosure of secrets, use of privileged information, and prohibited negotiations for public officials.

This Wednesday, Catalá reappeared to rally support for her councilor and reiterate that all procedures of her administration were “transparent.” The mayor emphasized that she is “especially eager” for the Public Prosecutor's Office to request documentation on the case so she can submit it “very diligently.” The eruption of this case forces the mayor's team to react in a context where the 2027 electoral horizon is increasingly close.