The Andalusian PSOE leadership has stepped in to stop a primary contest in Jaén, the region’s only provincial capital still led by a socialist mayor. María Jesús Montero led the move, which secures Julio Millán as the party’s candidate in the next municipal elections and halts the internal competition that had begun to take shape.
Party rules require primaries in towns with more than 20,000 residents, but sitting mayors are usually exempt unless more than half the local membership demands a vote, a threshold rarely met. Millán himself had called for primaries, a move some saw as a show of independence and a challenge to the provincial leadership’s control over the candidate list. His only challenger was Carlos Alberca, a fellow PSOE member and current fifth deputy mayor, whose candidacy surprised the regional leadership. Alberca officially registered his alternative candidacy against incumbent mayor Julio Millán in early September 2026, as several national and local media outlets confirmed.
Montero made her position clear: fewer primaries mean less internal conflict. Her directive, delivered publicly and through party channels, was followed in Sevilla and Málaga, as well as Granada and Cádiz. Almería, Huelva, Córdoba, and Jaén initially resisted. In Jaén, tensions ran especially high: Millán’s decision to open the process to a contest was seen as a rare act of independence in a party known for tight control.
Party insiders now expect Alberca to withdraw before the September 16 deadline for collecting endorsements, making a formal contest unlikely. Multiple sources reported the internal party calendar: candidate registration and verification, followed by signature collection from September 9 to 16. Voting is scheduled for September 26. Montero has openly backed Millán, praising his work to stabilize the city’s finances and advance basic projects. She left no doubt that Millán is to remain both candidate and mayor, reinforcing the PSOE’s hold on one of its last urban strongholds in Andalusia.
Elsewhere, the primary process remains open. Almería and Huelva will have two-way contests, while Córdoba faces a three-way race unless candidates step aside. The stakes are high for the PSOE ahead of the 2027 municipal elections. The party is trying to defend its positions in Jaén and Sevilla while seeking to win back Cádiz, where alliances with other left groups and independent mayors could prove decisive.
Montero’s announcement came just before a joint meeting of the Andalusian executives of UGT and PSOE, signaling renewed cooperation on housing and public services. UGT’s Oskar Martín warned that parts of the PP-Vox coalition threaten workers’ rights. He referred to a recent letter urging parties to avoid alliances with anti-democratic forces. The letter indirectly called for PSOE support for the conservative Juan Manuel Moreno, caught many in the socialist leadership off guard, and exposed the complicated relationship between unions and party politics in the region.
The PSOE’s move in Jaén is not unique. Similar top-down decisions have shaped candidate selection in other Spanish cities, as seen in the Madrid leadership dispute. Party leaders are increasingly willing to override local dynamics to secure strategic positions, particularly where electoral margins are tight.
This episode in Jaén shows the PSOE’s determination to limit internal dissent and keep control of its few remaining urban bases in Andalusia. By sidelining the primary process, the leadership signals that unity and predictability now take priority over grassroots participation. The move may bring short-term stability, but it risks alienating local activists and strengthening the impression that the party prioritizes internal order over democratic renewal. These decisions may secure the next candidacy, but they do little to address the deeper challenges facing Spain’s traditional parties.
