This decision comes after a prolonged and tense meeting in Cádiz, where provincial secretary Juan Carlos Ruiz Boix managed to assert his position against María Jesús Montero's executive. This internal conflict has highlighted deep divisions within the Cádiz socialist faction, a scenario Montero had sought to avoid to project an image of unity ahead of the electoral campaign on May 17.
Initially, Montero had expressed her intention to modify the list proposed by Ruiz Boix, aiming to place her campaign manager, Fernando López Gil, as the number one candidate for Cádiz. This move would have relegated Juan Cornejo, provincial organization secretary and a key figure for Ruiz Boix, to the third position. However, the resistance from the Cádiz group blocked the regional executive meeting and delayed the Steering Committee.
Negotiating with the PSOE of Cádiz is more difficult than negotiating with Puigdemont.
Ultimately, the List Committee ratified the original proposal from PSOE Cádiz, with Cornejo leading the candidacy, followed by Rocío Arrabal, a councilor from Algeciras and parliamentarian. The next two positions, considered more precarious according to polls, have been filled by individuals close to Montero: Fernando López Gil and Irene García, former provincial secretary and former president of the Diputación.
This internal power struggle, described by a local leader as more complex than negotiations with former president Puigdemont, has left the general secretary of the Andalusian PSOE with diminished authority in her first major organizational confrontation. Despite the unanimous approval of the candidacies by the Steering Committee, the final decision will rest with the PSOE's Federal List Committee this Saturday.
