Ximo Puig

Joaquín Francisco Puig Ferrer (born 4 January 1959), known as Ximo Puig (Valencian: [ˈtʃimo ˈputʃ]), is a Spanish politician who served as President of the Valencian Government from 2015 to 2023. He was also the leader of the Socialist Party of the Valencian Country (PSPV-PSOE), the Valencian regional branch of the PSOE, from 2012 to 2024.

Puig was born in Morella, Castellón. A journalist by profession, he worked for local newspapers and for the Antena 3 radio station.^[1] He was elected to the Corts Valencianes, the Valencian regional parliament, in the first democratic elections in 1983.^[1] He resigned his seat in 1986, when he was appointed Director General of Institutional relations and information in the Valencian regional administration, serving until 1995.^[1]

In May 1995 he became mayor of his hometown of Morella, serving until 2012, when he resigned after becoming leader of the PSPV-PSOE.^[2] In the 2011 Spanish general election he was elected to the Congress of Deputies, representing Castellón Province.^[1] In Congress, he served as spokesman for the committee on industry, energy and tourism.^[1] In March 2014 Puig won the PSPV-PSOE primary to be the party's candidate for President of the Valencian Government in the 2015 regional elections. He received 68.8% of the votes in the primary.^[3]

On 25 June 2015, he was invested President of the Valencian Government with the favourable votes of PSPV-PSOE, Podemos and Compromís, succeeding Alberto Fabra and putting an end to two decades of PP governments in the region. He was re-elected for a second term, with the support of the same parties, on 13 June 2019.