The PSOE’s basic think tank, Fundación Avanza, has named Meritxell Batet, a prominent PSC figure and former president of the Congress, as its head. The foundation’s board confirmed the appointment this Friday, ending a months-long vacancy after Manuel Escudero’s death in March. PSOE sources cited by EL PAÍS said Batet will lead the institution as the party seeks to sharpen its ideological stance.
César Luena, a 45-year-old MEP from La Rioja and Pedro Sánchez’s first secretary of Organization, has been selected as vice president. Luena previously served on Fundación Avanza’s scientific council and now sits on the European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Climate and Food Safety. His official European Parliament profile also identifies him as a serving MEP and chair of the Delegation for Relations with the Korean Peninsula. He teaches at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. His appointment signals a PSOE effort to strengthen its intellectual base. Fundación Avanza was established in 2024 to counterbalance the influence of Fundación FAES, which is linked to the PP.
The leadership changes do not require approval from the PSOE’s federal committee, which is due to meet this Saturday. Batet’s appointment follows her decision in September 2023 to step back from frontline politics after 19 years of service, including a term as Minister of Territorial Policy and Civil Service in Sánchez’s first government. She led the PSC’s list in the July 23 general elections, then cited satisfaction with her political career and the party’s electoral performance in Catalonia as reasons for leaving.
As Congress president, Batet faced impressive challenges, including managing the legislative response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Constitutional Court later ruled that restrictions on parliamentary activity during the initial lockdown had infringed deputies’ rights, following a petition by Vox. Batet also dealt with frequent incidents of political polarization, which continue to shape parliamentary sessions. Those pressures contributed to her decision not to seek another term as president of the chamber.
Manuel Escudero, who died at 79, played a basic role in the PSOE’s internal dynamics. He coordinated Pedro Sánchez’s successful 2017 leadership campaign alongside José Félix Tezanos, now head of the CIS. After Sánchez’s return to power in 2018, Escudero was appointed ambassador to the OECD in Paris and later returned to help launch Fundación Avanza. Batet takes over that legacy, with the think tank positioned as a central platform for the PSOE’s ideological renewal amid the rise of far-right populism, which Escudero once described as “the ultra crusade.”
The PSOE’s effort to reinforce its think tank leadership comes amid broader political maneuvering across Spain’s parties. Recent developments in Andalusia have exposed the difficulties of coalition-building, including tense negotiations between Juan Manuel Moreno and Vox over government formation, as detailed in coverage of the Andalusian investiture talks. Those dynamics highlight the value of strong party structures and strategic planning as Spain’s political field evolves.
Fundación Avanza’s renewed leadership is expected to influence the PSOE’s policy direction and public messaging. The think tank was created in response to the growing influence of right-wing organizations and the need for a strong ideological structure.
