A competition has been announced at the Diputación de Valencia to fill the position of secretary to the management, currently held since March by Vanesa Soler — the partner of the President of the Generalitat Valenciana, Juan Francisco Pérez Llorca. The decision to stabilize the post was made less than three months after her appointment, sparking discussion about the speed and transparency of the process. According to EL PAÍS, the competition will allow Soler or other candidates to apply for a permanent position with an annual salary of €52,070.
Vanesa Soler’s appointment in March followed the mechanism of the service commission — a temporary arrangement that allows an official to fill a vacancy pending an official competition. At the time, the Diputación cited “urgent necessity” to explain the speed. By law, the administration is required to announce a competition for permanent appointment within six months of a temporary assignment. This stage has now been implemented: requirements for candidates and the selection procedure, which will be conducted by a commission of five Diputación staff members, have been published.
Eligible applicants include C1 category civil servants in administrative positions or collection officers. Candidates must submit a professional résumé, diplomas, and proof of education. Responsibilities include managing business correspondence, maintaining schedules, handling confidential information, and protocol knowledge. The commission may declare the competition void if it does not find a suitable candidate.
Before joining the Diputación de Valencia, Vanesa Soler worked as an administrative employee at the Ayuntamiento de Finestrat (Alicante), where Pérez Llorca was mayor until being elected head of the region in December. After her appointment, Soler receives €52,070 per year, which, according to unions, exceeds her previous income. Her salary structure includes a monthly payment of €3,736, two additional payments of €3,614 each, and a special allowance of €2,244.
The scandal surrounding Soler’s appointment has not subsided since her move to the Diputación. Questions have arisen not only about the speed of her hiring but also about its coincidence with Pérez Llorca’s move to Valencia and his support from Vicent Mompó, the current head of the Diputación and the Partido Popular in the region. As noted by EL PAÍS, the decision to hold the competition was made a month and a half after Pérez Llorca took office as president of the Generalitat Valenciana, coinciding with his move to the regional capital.
Previously, the situation with Soler’s contract had already become the subject of public discussion and calls for an investigation. More details on the political response and the demands for reviewing the procedure can be found in the article about the demands to investigate the contract for the regional leader’s partner.
