Calp's People's Party (PP) is experiencing a moment of euphoria after declaring its official state: 'Imposition is over. The tripartite no longer has a majority.' This revolutionary headline comes more than two months after the municipal government lost its majority when councilwoman Paqui Solivelles defected from Somos Calpe. The PP, along with Defendamos Calpe and Solivelles, has managed to form a new majority that allowed them to win the first vote in the council meeting.
The victory, however, does not have the impact suggested by the Popular Party's headlines. The new shadow pact (PP-Defendamos-Solivelles) has not achieved a new housing plan or a new school, but simply ensured that council meetings will be held on Fridays instead of Tuesdays. This change directly benefits the agenda of the Popular Party leader and national deputy César Sánchez, who must attend the Congress of Deputies on Tuesdays. Furthermore, a technical report determines that the proposal is not binding.
The proposal was presented by Defendemos Calpe, which requested the change to Fridays, masking the PP's request to postpone debates from Tuesdays to Mondays. The Defendemos Calpe party, led by Paco Quiles and Toni Tur, has criticized Mayor Ana Sala's alliance with the PSOE and Compromís throughout the legislature, despite the mayor previously belonging to the PP. The paradox is that Defendemos is now doing a favor for César Sánchez, who was mayor for the PP for eight years before Sala.
Solivelles, who considers herself a textbook defector according to the 2006 pact against political defections, has been the subject of debate. César Sánchez, in an article published in Calp Digital, reinterprets reality by stating that Solivelles was a victim of 'coordination problems, inability to reach internal agreements, and a management model based on imposition.'
Sánchez also considers the current mayor, Ana Sala, to be the real defector, accusing her of creating Somos Calpe while still being the mayor for the PP. According to his version, he imposed himself as the PP's mayoral candidate out of 'love for his neighbor,' stating that positions belong to the citizens and the parties. He also suggests that the local government's crisis began with the departure of Juan Manuel del Pino, Somos Calpe's second-in-command, whose work he publicly thanks despite disagreements.
