The replacement of Carlos Mazón, which is considered a foregone conclusion within the People's Party (PP)—the question is when and how it will happen—has torn the party apart. Because the debate over the succession, now that the president of the Valencian regional government is considered finished, has several names in the running. None, however, has garnered unanimous support. Moreover, if the PP's national leadership in Madrid (Génova) is backing María José Catalá, the Valencian PP leadership is pressuring for her to be ruled out.

The national leadership's proposal for the mayor of Valencia to replace Mazón as head of the Generalitat is not well received by the Valencian PP leadership, who have launched a bid for Vicent Mompó, the current president of the Valencia Provincial Council, even though they know that it is Genoa that has the final say and decides in this case.

While awaiting the conversation this Sunday between the PP leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, and the president of the Generalitat, sources within the party assure that the secretary general is also involved in finding a way out of this serious crisis. Miguel Tellado, in fact, is contacting various Valencian PP officials to convey the party's willingness to put forward Catalá as Mazón's successor.

According to these sources, the Catalá option is being considered in Genoa as both a temporary and a permanent solution. That is, either to be invested in the Valencian Parliament as president of the Generalitat—without the need for early elections—or to be the PP candidate in an election.

Sources within the Valencian PP leadership, however, confirm that what has been conveyed to the national headquarters in Madrid is precisely the inadvisability of removing Catalá from the City Council, where he currently governs precariously with Vox."If Catalá goes to the Generalitat, the Valencia City Council will fall, and the Valencia Provincial Council will fall," argue the Valencian PP. In other words, plugging the leak at the Palau de la Generalitat could end up costing the PP dearly in the Valencian capital's City Council, without which the Provincial Council, currently headed by Mompó, will hardly survive.

"The consensus is that Catalá should not be the candidate to succeed Mazón," a party source succinctly summarizes. Along these lines, some voices emphasize that"it would be a strategic error to lose the city council and, consequently, the provincial council."

Behind these moves is the desire of the Valencian leadership to prevent Genoa from unilaterally deciding on Mazón's succession. The general secretary and Mazón's right-hand man, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, has also been calling for some time for the party's sentiment in Valencia to be taken into account. And, in this case, according to sources within the People's Party, there is agreement among the three provincial leaders for Mompó to take the reins. This solution is also favored by both Pérez Llorca and Mazón himself.

The president of the Generalitat, in fact, has already suggested to the PP leadership in Madrid that one of the scenarios being considered is his resignation, after which elections would have to be called or his successor would have to be sworn in by the Valencian Parliament with the agreement of Vox. The leadership of the Valencian People's Party (PPCV) is also backing Pérez Llorca as a transitional solution to avoid triggering elections, although the PP leadership in Madrid insists that their preferred option in this case would also be Catalá.

The mayor's detractors, on the other hand, point out that Catalá would not have Vox's support guaranteed, and that unanimity surrounding her doesn't exist within the party either. It's widely assumed that the PP in Alicante, for example, would strongly oppose her.

All sources consulted agree that the only scenario ruled out is Mazón's continued tenure. The Valencian president, who is experiencing his lowest point after the first anniversary of the DANA storm, will be absent this Monday from the meeting of the PP's National Executive Committee in Madrid, which will be attended by his second-in-command, Pérez Llorca.