Marta Higueras returns to the Madrid political scene with a new project of her own. The former right-hand woman of Manuela Carmena in the Madrid City Council has presented Independientes por Madrid, a party that she defines as "municipalist and independent" and that, as she has explained, is born with a central idea: to focus solely on the city.
"We have no regional or national aspirations, we focus on Madrid, which deserves something better than choosing between sides", Higueras stated during the presentation of the project. The former councilor insisted that the party "is not about blocs or sides", but about municipal management, dialogue, and results.
The message seeks to distance itself from the major parties and the national dynamic that usually drags down the debate in the City Council. Higueras presents her new space as an alternative for those who want politics more closely tied to the specific problems of the capital.
A project without dependence on national blocs
The former councilor has positioned political independence as the main difference of her project. In her opinion, Independientes por Madrid will not have to answer to any state leadership or any national ideological bloc, which would allow it to decide solely based on the interests of the city.
"We are addressing people tired of bloc politics, of bickering, of parties hijacked by national politics", Higueras summarized. The party thus presents itself as a municipalist candidacy, focused on issues such as housing, commerce, neighborhood security, or the quality of public services.
Higueras has argued that these are the issues that, in her opinion, should occupy more space in the plenary sessions of the Madrid City Council and that are often overshadowed by partisan noise.
Municipalism, dialogue, and results
The new project is part of a municipalist current made up of about 400 mayors from independent candidacies from different parts of the country. Higueras has claimed this tradition as a way of doing politics based on management and proximity, rather than on confrontation between party labels.
"Municipalism, dialogue, and management, measuring politics by results and not by sides", she stated as a summary of the new party's purpose.
The underlying idea is to build a candidacy that can attract diverse profiles, without requiring identification with traditional political blocs. Higueras has stated that all people who want to participate and "have something to contribute" will be able to do so, and has asked citizens to send suggestions and proposals.
Program more defined in September
Independientes por Madrid will present a program "somewhat more defined" at the end of September, as Higueras has announced. Until then, the group wants to open a phase of listening and collecting proposals to define its priorities.
The former councilor cited issues such as housing, local commerce, or neighborhood security as some of the matters that must be addressed "seriously". Her approach involves placing these issues at the center of municipal debate, in contrast to what she considers an excessive dependence on the national agenda.
The project is therefore born with a city-wide vocation and a clear message: Madrid as the sole scope of political action.
Meetings with all municipal groups
Higueras has confirmed that she has met with the spokespersons of all municipal groups. Among them, the former spokesperson for Vox, Javier Ortega Smith; her former colleague and current leader of Más Madrid, Rita Maestre; and the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, from the PP.
As she explained, the reception has been "very respectful" in all cases. Regarding her meeting with Maestre, Higueras pointed out that it was a "very cordial" meeting and that they both wished each other "mutual luck".
These contacts aim to position the new group on the municipal political map before finalizing its program and defining its strategy for the capital's electoral future.
Not a return to the origins of Más Madrid
When asked if her project represents a return to the origins of Más Madrid, Higueras categorically dismissed it. "It is a project that has little to do with previous projects. It is absolutely municipalist and independent, we are not trying to replicate anything, we do not want to take space from anyone," she specified.
The clarification is relevant due to her political trajectory. Higueras was a key figure in Manuela Carmena's circle and in the municipalist phase that came to the Madrid City Council in 2015. However, she now insists that Independientes por Madrid does not aim to be a re-edition of that space or to compete from a bloc-based logic.
Regarding the possible support of Manuela Carmena, Higueras has confirmed that she has spoken with her, although she has pointed out that the former mayor herself must explain her position.
Madrid as the only horizon
The presentation of Independientes por Madrid introduces a new player in the Madrid municipal arena. Higueras tries to occupy a space among those who feel alienated by partisan confrontation and seek a candidacy focused exclusively on the city's issues.
Her bet is to reclaim municipalism as her own path, without dependence on regional or national strategies. The challenge will be to see if that message manages to break through in a politically polarized city with an electoral ecosystem already heavily marked by PP, Más Madrid, PSOE, and Vox.
For now, Higueras has set the starting point: an independent candidacy, with no ambition outside of Madrid and with the promise of measuring politics by results, not by factions.