Half joking half seriously, the vice president and leader of Compromís, Monica Oltrahas refuted several times before journalists that he handles the reins and has control over Compromís, a complex functioning coalition with three parties and an even higher number of sensitivities, internal currents and critical spaces. “Leader is saying a lot,” she has been heard. On more than one occasion and in a few days. There are elements that seem to agree with him. Compromís begins to be a coalition that is further and further away from Oltra’s control.
The main party in the coalition, Més, which is not the vice president’s party, has been making its way for a long time. And the way in which the sdeparture of the Consell de Vicent Marzà He has shown it again. The resignation has taken place at the initiative of the minister until this Monday after seven years and has been agreed within his party, Més. The vice president was informed hours before it was made public. Marzà has preferred to go out with the rest of the changes that have affected the socialist ministers. “It is good to do it together, we are a single government,” said Marzà, who would have refused to delay his departure.
Oltra maintains his ascendancy over the coalition, where he is considered the main electoral asset, but his influence is not what it was before. A few years ago, with Oltra fuerte, Marzà would not have left the Consell without having his approval. Now, the decision has been made by Marzà with his team and the result is in sight. In some way, the minister owed him the position that he reached in 2015, when he was not the first option. But with the head of Education out for months, the ties have been fading.
In the same proportion to Oltra’s wear and tear due to her judicial situation, close to the imputation, Més seeks to strengthen itself. His general secretary, Àgueda Micó, warned on the day of Marzà’s departure that elections are won with an organic structure, not with hyper-leaderships.
And that the outgoing minister is not ruled out for a possible candidacy places him in the direction of 2023. But his could be more of a medium-term operation. Marzà has not turned 40 and his political career is presumed extensive. It is the referent of Més and its political capital, indisputable. But no one in the old Bloc sees him in the scenario of facing Oltra in a regional primary. Neither him nor Joan Baldoví, who is the bullet in Més’ chamber in a hypothetical scenario of urgent substitution.
The right to decide
The official position of Més is that Oltra has earned the right to decide whether or not she wants to lead the future Compromís candidacy. This is what its managers repeat.
But until now the minister has launched phrases that can be understood as a message: “It is good to normalize the changes.” “I can only talk about myself.” “Everyone makes their decisions, people pass.” Oltra has twice denied that Marzà’s departure puts pressure on him. But there are phrases with intention.
In addition, Marzà is going to the party to work for a more powerful alternative to Valencianism, for which he will protect possible alliances. Més already prevailed in 2019 in the debate on electoral coalitions in favor of Más País, compared to Oltra’s preferences for Podemos. That brand has gone into decline and the vice president has long been in tune with Yolanda Díaz. But Més has already made his way with his own front that may join the other or we will have to see.