Valencia mayor Catalá clears path for PP's 2027 regional election candidate

Valencia mayor Mercedes Catalá traveled to Santiago de Compostela where she thanked People's Party (PP) leader Alberto Feijóo and reiterated her commitment to remain mayor, saying she is "in love with the city". Her appearance, attended by about a hundred PP hopefuls for major Spanish cities, is seen as confirming the party’s internal decision on its candidate for the Generalitat Valenciana in the 2027 regional elections.

Party insiders expect the candidacy to go to Juanfran Pérez Llorca, the successor to current regional PP president Carlos Mazóny, although earlier doubts within the national PP leadership had been noted. The next phase of the PP’s electoral calendar will formalise the regional slates in September, after a summer in which Llorca will serve as interim lead.

Catalá’s influence within the PP hierarchy, which reportedly allows her to secure nominations without traveling to the capital, has effectively cleared the internal contest for the Valencian regional ticket.