Puertollano’s PSOE has started its internal primaries, looking for a candidate who can turn the city around in the 2027 elections. Party leaders say the current city government has no vision and just waits for outside help.
Puertollano’s PSOE isn’t waiting for the next election year. The party has already set up its primary commission, putting the wheels in motion to pick its candidate for 2027. The race for city hall has started early.
Inside the party, frustration is growing. Leaders say the current local government has lost its drive. According to the PSOE, the mayor now depends on “a policy of announcements and leveraging other people’s initiatives.” Big economic projects, they argue, come from higher authorities, not from city hall itself.
The official timeline for the La Nava III, Phase 2 expansion sets the tender for late 2026 and completion by the end of September 2027.
The socialists say Puertollano is missing its chance to shape its own future. They point to the €4.5 million expansion of the La Nava industrial estate. That money comes from the regional government and the Instituto para la Transición Justa. The project will add about 33,000 square meters of new industrial land. This opens the door for projects like the planned wolframio processing and refining plant at the El Moto mine. That plant is expected to create over 200 jobs. Official data from Cadena SER and elDiario show the La Nava III project will bring 11 new industrial plots. These will directly support the supply chain for the El Moto tungsten complex.
Noelia Caballero, the PSOE’s municipal spokesperson, says these investments “demonstrate the commitment of socialist governments to Puertollano’s industrial future and stand in stark contrast to the lack of original initiatives from the local administration.” The party’s message is blunt. Puertollano needs more than a city hall that just manages money from Madrid or Toledo. The El Moto project itself, according to EIT RawMaterials, could create over 400 highly qualified jobs. Production is set for the first quarter of 2029. The mine could run for 18 years.
The primary process is now live. PSOE leaders say they are the only ones who can offer a “solid, close, and ambitious” alternative. Their focus: jobs, public services, economic growth, and fixing up neighborhoods. They want the 2027 elections to be a turning point. The goal is to put city hall back in charge of Puertollano’s future. But there’s a gap in job estimates. Regional officials talk about “over 200” jobs at El Moto. International project profiles put the number at more than 400. The difference shows how big the industrial chain’s impact could be.
In late September 2026, PSOE Puertollano intensified its public criticism of the local PP-led government, accusing Mayor Miguel Ángel Ruiz of abuse of power and poor management style. Meanwhile, Ruiz has already stated in interviews with ABC and elDiario that he intends to run for re-election as the PP candidate in May 2027, barring unforeseen changes.
This local fight isn’t unique. Across Spain, the same question keeps coming up: who really drives progress—local leaders or higher authorities? As reported earlier, other towns are seeing the same tensions. The stakes are high for parties trying to prove they matter at the local level.
The PSOE’s early push shows both urgency and a bet that voters want change. If the party can turn its criticism into a real plan, the 2027 race could become a test of who has the drive—and the plan—to pull Puertollano out of its rut.
