Diana Morant launches Valencian presidential bid, pledges to channel post-DANA discontent into progressive win
The PSPV general secretary formalised her candidacy on Thursday, aiming to become the first woman to lead the Valencian government and to capitalise on voter anger over the PP's handling of the DANA crisis.
Candidacy launch
Diana Morant, Spain's minister of science, innovation and universities, presented her pre-candidacy for the PSPV leadership in the 2027 regional elections at an event in Gandia on Wednesday evening, returning to the Plaza Elíptica where she had kicked off her 2015 mayoral campaign. On Thursday she made it official at the party's Valencia headquarters, surrounded by provincial secretaries and the government delegate. No internal rival is expected; the only formality is ratification by the party. Morant said she wants to be "the first female president of the Comunitat Valenciana," calling the prospect "doubly a responsibility." Her campaign slogan is "Recover what matters," underlining public education, healthcare, housing, and support for the municipalities and victims of the DANA floods.
- Holds campaign rally in Plaza Elíptica with Pedro Sánchez and Ximo Puig, launching her successful bid for mayor of Gandia
- Returns to the same plaza to ask PSPV members for "permission" to become general secretary of the party, which she wins
- Formalises her pre-candidacy for the Valencian presidency at the party's Valencia headquarters, again starting the electoral cycle in Gandia
Criticism of the PP and the DANA legacy
The candidate hammered the PP's record since the devastating floods. She accused the Valencian government of having "insulted the victims and the whole Valencian people, and flooded us with lies." She argued that the region "has not been the same since the dana" and that the current administration, led by president Juanfran Pérez Llorca (who replaced Carlos Mazón after his resignation), "has not been where it should have been, nor when it should have been." Morant vowed that voters would "throw out Pérez Llorca and the PP democratically."
As minister, in any cabinet meeting I do more for Valencians than Juanfran Pérez Llorca will do in the whole term.
Electoral outlook and coalition
Morant claimed to perceive a "pulsión de cambio" (urge for change) in the streets. She dismissed published polls that still put the PP ahead, saying the party has not released any survey since the DANA and that her own numbers show "the PP voter is very angry with the PP, with Mazón, with Pérez Llorca and with Feijóo." She ruled out Compromís overtaking the PSPV, though she acknowledged the left-wing coalition is in a "good moment" and must be strong to secure a progressive majority. "Just as the right and the far right unite to do wrong, we will be able to unite to do good," she said. She stressed that the Valencian context differs from Andalusia and Aragon, because the local PP is far from an absolute majority and the PSPV is united, with former presidents Joan Lerma and Ximo Puig actively backing the party.
Ministerial stay and mayoral roots
Morant gave no date for leaving the national government, insisting she remains "useful" for Valencians in the cabinet. Party sources said she is mindful of the electoral setbacks suffered by María Jesús Montero in Andalusia and Pilar Alegría in Aragon after they clung to their ministerial posts. In a letter to PSPV members, Morant recalled her years as mayor of Gandia: "I learned that good politics starts by listening, looking people in the eye, being on the street, being close. And that's the way of understanding politics that I want to take to the Palau de la Generalitat."
