Orihuela has a new coastal councillor, after Sofía Álvarez had that responsibility stripped from her and given to Luisa Boné (pictured on the left), as part of a formal coalition deal struck this week between the Partido Popular and the centrist Ciudadanos party.
It means that after a looser arrangement, Orihuela Mayor, Emilio Bascuñana, (pictured middle) can count on an overall majority in the council chamber, with the new arrangement coming a week after a PP/Ciudadanos alliance forced out the socialists in Almoradi. The PP/Ciudadanos numbers in the Orihuela chamber add up to 14, leaving 11 in opposition, with the three Ciudadanos councillors now joining the government team.
Luisa Boné had already been working with Álvarez on Orihuela Costa matters, and now she has the beaches and coastal portfolio all to herself. Sofía Álvarez is now left to concentrate on her other responsibilities of foreign residents, transport, and tourism.
