The PSOE of Extremadura holds this Saturday some decisive primaries to elect its new general secretary, in a process that comes at a particularly delicate moment for the organization after the loss of the regional Government in 2023 and its worst historical result in 2025.
A total of 9,366 militants are called to vote in 197 centers distributed throughout the community, on a day that will last between 10:00 and 20:00 hours, with results expected from the night.
Two candidates, a very close contest
The contest pits Soraya Vega and Álvaro Sánchez Cotrina, two profiles with distinct trajectories but with real chances of victory.
Vega, linked to the province of Badajoz, has focused her campaign on the renewal of the socialist project and on strengthening the connection with the militancy. For his part, Sánchez Cotrina, mayor of Salorino since 2011, represents a bid with strong support in the province of Cáceres and in the municipal sphere.
Both candidates have closed campaign with events in the main cities of the region and face the election day with expectations of victory in their respective teams, which reflects the absence of a clear favorite.
A campaign without visible fractures
Unlike previous processes, these primaries have developed without relevant public confrontations. Not even the debate held days before generated significant clashes between the aspirants, who have opted to focus on party proposals and territorial reach.
This tone has contributed to avoiding an image of internal division at a time of organic weakness, something that the party's provisional leadership considered key. From the management committee, its president has stressed that the process has developed with “transparency” and “democratic normality”, in contrast to the tensions of previous stages.
Territorial balance and open result
The final result could depend on the balance between provinces. In the party, it is taken for granted that Sánchez Cotrina will prevail in Cáceres and Vega in Badajoz, so the difference in the latter will be decisive to tip the balance.
Beyond the result, these primaries have a relevant symbolic component:
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If Sánchez Cotrina wins, it will be the first time that a leader from Cáceres leads the Extremaduran PSOE.
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If Vega prevails, she will be the first woman to occupy the regional General Secretariat.
A party in reconstruction
The process comes after the departure of Miguel Ángel Gallardo, who resigned in December after the electoral setback. In recent years, the Extremaduran PSOE has experienced a succession of primaries that reflect the search for new leadership capable of rebuilding the project.
The vote this Saturday will not only define a name, but also the direction of a party that seeks to reorganize and regain political ground in the autonomous community.