Another Extraordinary Week in Orihuela Politics – How Much More Damage Can the Municipality’s Reputation Take?
If anyone wanted a snapshot of the state of politics in Orihuela, they only had to look at the headlines Last week.
One story after another has painted a picture that no municipality should ever want associated with its name.
First came the astonishing revelation that residents in Lomas de Cabo Roig felt they had no alternative but to purchase their own rubbish containers because the Town Hall failed to provide them. Think about that for a moment. Residents paying their taxes, then paying again for one of the most basic municipal services, while reports indicate the Ayuntamiento has around €100 million sitting in its bank accounts.
Then came the conclusion of the long-running criminal trial involving Mayor Pepe Vegara. The evidence has been heard, the arguments presented, and now the case rests entirely in the hands of the courts. As always, the presumption of innocence remains until a judgment is delivered, and whatever decision the judges reach must be respected.
But perception matters.
When your mayor is standing trial, whether ultimately convicted or acquitted, it becomes another headline that follows the municipality wherever its name appears.
Now, before that chapter has even closed, comes another damaging headline with the sentencing of former councillor Martina Scheurer to three years in prison.
Whether people support the PP, PSOE, Vox, Ciudadanos or any other party is almost beside the point.
Residents simply see another political scandal attached to the name Orihuela.
And every time it happens, public confidence falls another notch.
This isn’t just about politics.
It affects tourism.
It affects investment.
It affects businesses deciding where to locate.
It affects property buyers.
It affects every honest councillor and every hardworking municipal employee whose reputations become unfairly associated with endless controversy.
Meanwhile, those of us living on the coast continue asking exactly the same questions we have been asking for years.
Why are roads deteriorating?
Why are weeds growing everywhere?
Why are residents buying their own bins?
Why are pavements crumbling?
Why do services continue to fall behind while taxes continue to rise?
The slogan “Pay More, Get Less” wasn’t created because it sounded catchy.
It was created because thousands of residents increasingly believe it reflects their everyday experience.
Now let’s look towards 2027.
If I were a betting man, I would still expect the PP to emerge as the largest single party. Whether people agree or disagree with that assessment, recent electoral history suggests it remains a realistic possibility.
But unless they achieve an outright majority, another coalition is likely to be needed.
That raises the real political question.
Who will be willing to govern with them?
Will Vox once again become their coalition partner?
Will another party decide that sharing power is worth the political risk?
Could Ciudadanos, despite twice having the chance in previous coalition experiences, somehow return to the table?
Politics often produces strange alliances, but history also teaches us that unstable coalitions rarely become stable simply because people hope they will.
From the outside, some previous partnerships appeared uncomfortable almost from day one.
The honeymoon barely began before the arguments started.
After that, everything seemed to gather speed downhill—rather like a toboggan racing down a snow-covered mountain with nobody steering.
The Independence Debate
One issue that is gathering increasing attention is the campaign for Orihuela Costa’s independence.
Many residents understandably say, “Vote for PIOC and we’ll achieve independence.” After years of frustration, neglected infrastructure and declining services, it is easy to understand why that message resonates with so many people.
However, residents also deserve to understand the scale of the challenge.
In the 2023 municipal elections, PIOC received 1,382 votes across the municipality of Orihuela.
Some supporters are now talking about achieving 14,000 votes in 2027.
That would require an increase of 12,618 votes—a rise of approximately 913%, meaning the party would need to secure more than ten times the number of votes it received just four years earlier.
That is not impossible, but it is a monumental political challenge.
It is also important to remember that municipal elections are decided across the entire municipality of Orihuela, not just Orihuela Costa. While the coast remains PIOC’s natural support base, achieving that level of electoral success would almost certainly require winning thousands of votes from other areas of the municipality as well.
This is not intended to discourage anyone.
Democracy is built on ambition, determination and convincing people to support your ideas.
But there is a difference between ambition and expectation, and residents deserve realism as well as hope.
Whatever party people choose to support, the future of Orihuela Costa will only be shaped if people register to vote, take part in the democratic process and persuade others to do the same.
The real winners should never be politicians.
They should be the residents.
The people who simply want clean streets, reliable services, safe roads, functioning infrastructure and an administration they can trust.
By the time voters enter the polling stations in 2027, they will not just be voting for campaign promises.
They will be voting on years of performance.
On delivery.
On accountability.
On competence.
And perhaps above all, on trust.
Because trust, once lost, is the hardest thing in politics to win back.
For the sake of everyone who calls this municipality home, I hope the next chapter in Orihuela’s story is written through better governance, greater transparency and real delivery—not more courtrooms, more scandals and more headlines that damage the reputation of a municipality that deserves so much better.
PAY MORE. GET LESS. — Orihuela’s Great Success.
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