The PSOE-Aragon will choose Javier Lambán’s successor during a regional congress to be held on March 15 and 16. This is the date that was announced this Friday within the party’s Regional Committee, in which 130 of the 228 Community delegates participated.
The official schedule, which will be approved after this Friday’s session, will be as follows: Pre-applications must be submitted from January 24 to 27. Between January 28 and February 3, candidates must obtain the necessary endorsements to compete in the primaries. Thus, the first round would take place on February 16 and the second, a week later, on the 23rd. The proclamation would take place on February 24 and 25 and the 18th Regional Congress would take place, where the election would be formalized. two weeks later.
In a speech without criticism of Pedro Sánchez or references to the incendiary statement of Víctor de Aldama, the former Aragonese president confirmed that will not be present at the imminent congress in Seville as a delegate, a decision he attributes to his “gradual disengagement from organic politics”.
Despite everything, he hopes that Aragonese socialism will leave the flag “high” and defend the amendments coming from the provincial federations “making the voice of Aragon heard” and demonstrating to the territory and others that it is It is a federation “with its own voice”. Among them will be the defense of fair financing for the Community, an idea contrary to the Catalan quota agreed between the PSC and the ERC to make Salvador Illa president of the Generalitat.
His main aspiration is that the Aragonese delegation “does not return from Seville less united”. “That’s to say, that the passage through the Federal Congress does not mean any type of rupture or new crisis that socialism is going through. “What we must dedicate ourselves to is precisely the opposite: to eliminate any type of crisis and for the party that emerges from the congress to be united and equipped with all the necessary strength to confront the right in the 2027 elections,” he said. concluded. .
In a conciliatory tone, he assured that he would make things easier to those who come behind to overcome his legacy. This time, no criticism has been made against the minister and spokesperson Pilar Alegría, whom he does not consider his natural successor, as he himself declared less than a month ago.
According to him, it will be at the next Regional Congress that the elections will begin to be won or lost. “And not only because of the success or failure we achieve in choosing the new direction, but also for the political project with which we leave this congress”, added.
Among the candidates, names like that of the current president of the DPZ and provincial secretary of Zaragoza, Juan Antonio Sánchez Quero, stand out. And it remains to be seen what will ultimately happen to Alegría, whose name has been mentioned for years as Javier Lambán’s successor.
“In-depth renovation”
The Regional Congress will be marked by a “profound renewal” after 13 years with Javier Lambán as secretary general. “I announced some time ago that I would no longer present my candidacy, so I hope that there will be a profound renewal of leadership, but also of the political project. May we look to the horizon, turn on the lights, and project a roadmap that transcends even the year 2027. We have demonstrated that we have the best political teams in the Community and that we are the only ones to have a project for Aragon,” he underlined.
Lambán highlighted the “vocation of public service that characterizes the Aragonese socialists”, who have always placed Aragon and Spain before their own party. “It’s something we owe to the citizens” pointed out.
He also benefited from his eight years in power, during which important foundations were laid for the future: “They served to place Aragon on the map of the Spanish economy, promote a strong, modern and highly diversified economy and thoroughly develop the sustainable use of our resources, our talents and our strategic location.
The Secretary General stressed that the path taken today by Jorge Azcón had been opened during his years in office. “We promote the production of renewable energy, which leads to the arrival of many investments. We have opened this path, and once it is opened, it is much easier for others to join,” he noted. in reference to the billion-dollar investments announced by the popular leader in 2024.
This also influenced to the “rescue” of public services which its executive had to face due to the budget cuts applied by the European Union due to the economic crisis or the delicate state in which it found itself after covid-19.
“Later a party came to power, the PP, which does not believe in public services and which, in just over a year, has only allowed health, education and services to deteriorate social, which are the foundations of our political project.” ; those which most characterize us as socialists”, exposed.
In all these years, Lambán said, he also tried “Aragonize” the PSOE and maintain its own voice, working to promote, according to him, a “necessary reform of the Constitution” which would lead to a federal State in which territorial waters would be peaceful and where the risks caused by the lack of cohesion and equality would be put an end to.
“We accomplished something that I am most proud of, and is that Aragon is one of the leading communities in terms of quality of life and equality. For a socialist, this is something particularly precious,” he admitted.
In terms of the future
For Lambán, the priority must now be to update and improve the management of public services, in particular Health, which is about to “collapse” if a major national pact is not promoted between all political forces and autonomous communities.
“We must perfect the mechanisms of the Aragonese economy and take advantage of the advantages that we have in our favor, trying to do things right when it comes to energy management,” added.
The socialist leader hopes that Aragon will find the key to solving the housing and immigration problems facing the country as a whole, which involves “modernize” the PSOE project itself. “This will be a task that will not fall on me, but on others who I am sure will do much better than me. We have the resources, the talent and a great community. We must bring the best of us themselves, but assuming that others also have things to contribute,” he stressed.
With a “Thank you very much and good luck, dear colleagues” Lambán said goodbye until the Regional Congress, where he will report on his management and definitively say goodbye to biological life.
