Valencian political groups demand removal of Julio de España portrait

Political parties PSPV-PSOE and Compromís are calling for the immediate removal of Julio de España’s portrait from the Palau de Les Corts in Valencia. The demand follows a court ruling sentencing the former president of Les Corts and former president of the Alicante Provincial Council to one and a half years in prison and two years of supervised release for sexually assaulting a patient while practicing as a physician.

Rosa Peris, the socialist spokesperson for Equality in Les Corts, argued that a sexual aggressor should not hold a place of honor within Valencian institutions. She noted that a 2015 resolution already exists urging the removal of commemorative plaques or honorary mentions from Generalitat Valenciana buildings for convicted individuals.

Compromís spokesperson Joan Baldoví stated that the conviction makes the portrait’s presence in the gallery of former presidents improper. The coalition is coordinating efforts at the municipal, provincial, and regional levels to revoke public honors linked to de España, asserting that holding political office should not grant permanent privileges.