PSOE to poll Murcia members on backing Cartagena no-confidence motion

The Socialist Party in Spain’s Murcia region said on Wednesday it will submit to a vote of its Cartagena members whether to support a pact with Movimiento Ciudadano and Sí Cartagena to pursue a no-confidence motion against Cartagena Mayor Noelia Arroyo. The decision was taken by the regional executive of the PSRM-PSOE at a meeting in Murcia, according to the party and local media. María Jesús López, the party’s organization secretary, said the consultation will be held on Tuesday, May 26, with an in-person secret ballot for Socialist Party and Socialist Youth members in Cartagena. The move follows the filing on Monday, May 18, of a no-confidence motion at Cartagena city hall by the municipal groups of Movimiento Ciudadano, PSOE and Sí Cartagena. The motion also has the backing of two non-attached councillors, Diego Salinas and Beatriz Sánchez, according to the parties that registered it. The groups said they acted to end what they called “desgobierno” and a lack of project in Arroyo’s administration. (murciaplaza.com) ### Who is being asked to vote, and when? María Jesús López said on May 20 that the ballot will be limited to PSOE and Juventudes Socialistas members in Cartagena. She said the vote will be “presencial y secreto,” and described the local agreement as a step toward “una nueva etapa de progreso en Cartagena.” (europapress.es) The regional executive’s decision means the Cartagena branch does not automatically bind the wider party structure without member approval. Murcia Plaza and other regional outlets reported that the consultation was agreed at a Wednesday evening meeting at the regional party headquarters in Murcia. (murciaplaza.com) ### What exactly did MC, PSOE and Sí Cartagena sign? The three municipal groups registered the motion on May 18 in Cartagena. Europa Press reported that the filing was presented by Movimiento Ciudadano, PSOE and Sí Cartagena, while Murcia Plaza reported that the motion had support from Salinas and Sánchez, two councillors now sitting as non-attached members. (murciaplaza.com) Jesús Giménez Gallo’s Movimiento Ciudadano is the largest opposition force in the city council, according to reporting by El Mundo cited in search results, while PSOE has four councillors and Sí Cartagena one. That arithmetic, together with the support of the two non-attached councillors, is what gives the bloc enough votes to challenge Arroyo’s governing majority. (europapress.es) ### What reasons did the promoters give for trying to remove Arroyo? The opposition groups said on May 18 that they were acting after months of tension in city hall. Their statement cited internal divisions in the government, pressure from the city’s finances and what they described as a lack of present and future projects for the municipality. (elmundo.es) María Jesús López said the Socialists had tied their support to what she called “una agenda progresista valiente,” including measures on social justice, human rights, equal opportunity, support for local business, strategic projects and territorial inequality within the municipality. Those are the terms under which the regional party says it is asking members to decide. (europapress.es) ### How has Noelia Arroyo responded? Noelia Arroyo, speaking on May 19, called the initiative “un pacto indecente y a la desesperada” and said it would not benefit Cartagena. The mayor said the operation responded to partisan interests and accused its backers of trying to block the city’s government less than a year before the next municipal election. (murciaplaza.com) Arroyo also said the parties behind the motion lacked a common program and argued that the goal was to stop her administration from governing. Her comments were published by Cartagena city hall’s communications service in a statement attributed to the local PP. ### What happens next in Cartagena? Tuesday, May 26, is the date set by the PSRM-PSOE for its membership vote in Cartagena. (cartagena.es) The consultation will determine whether the regional Socialist organization formally endorses the pact already signed by the local PSOE with Movimiento Ciudadano and Sí Cartagena, according to María Jesús López. The no-confidence motion itself was registered on May 18, and local reporting has said the council plenary session tied to the motion is expected in the following days under the statutory timetable. For now, the named participants in the next immediate step are Cartagena’s PSOE and Juventudes Socialistas members, who are due to cast their ballots on May 26. (europesays.com) (murciaplaza.com)