Resignations in Palencia
Luis Ángel Marín Paredes and Alicia García Alonso told the Socialist party's Palencia standing committee on Monday, 19 October 2026, that they would not appear on the party's list for the province in the general election of 29 November. Both had been placed second and third on that list. Their two substitutes, Luis Fernando Cantero Mena and Mireia Barrios Bernardos, announced the same decision, so the slate has effectively collapsed. The party's Palencia branch called the decision irrevocable and set out its reasons in a statement.
Dispute over the head of the list
The provincial committee had backed Álvaro Bilbao as head of list by 77 votes in favour and one abstention, with the support of every local branch in the province. The Comisión Federal de Listas, ratified later by the Comité Federal, removed him and put in his place Mariluz Martínez Seijo, a sitting deputy. The Palencia branch says that choice runs against the wishes of its members, and its statement put it this way:
“The decision clashes head-on with the clear majority will of the party members in Palencia, who chose almost unanimously Álvaro Bilbao as head of list.”
The statement adds that the resignations are meant to expose how little weight was given to the members who voted for another name. Miriam Andrés, the party's Palencia secretary general and mayor of the city, had already criticised the national leadership the previous week, accusing it of brushing aside internal party democracy.
Tensions across Castilla y León
El Confidencial reports that the friction reaches beyond Palencia, because the national leadership has overridden local preferences in Burgos and Palencia alike. In Burgos, Luis Tudanca, the former regional secretary general, had been chosen as top Senate candidate with broad grassroots backing and the regional leadership's support. The Comité Federal de Listas changed that proposal over the weekend and put Aitana Hernando, mayor of Miranda de Ebro, forward for the Senate instead. Tudanca had been appointed senator by the regional government in 2025, but he lost that seat after the regional elections in May, when Clara Martín was chosen in his place. Tudanca has kept quiet so far, though people close to him have voiced anger, according to the same report. The paper adds that part of the grassroots in Ávila also opposes the lists, and that the national leadership is reportedly planning to replace León's mayor, José Antonio Díez, as the party's candidate for the city, a move the report links to his frequent disagreements with the party.