Gabino de Lorenzo unexpectedly resigns as a Government Representative in Asturias

Gabino de Lorenzo resigned yesterday as a Government Representative in Asturias and ended a period after 30 years devoted to politics. He made it according to his style. By surprise, transferring to the media, shortly before eleven o'clock p.m., the letter he had sent hours earlier to the Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, announcing his retirement. In it, he claimed a single reason: "Seventy-five years is a good age for retirement". The news caused surprise even among members of his party, although other sources of the PP indicated that De Lorenzo was aware of his imminent dismissal and that he preferred to anticipate and resign. However, the president of the party in Asturias, Mercedes Fernández, only mentioned the letter of resignation of Gabino de Lorenzo and did not make any more comments.

The appointment of De Lorenzo as a Government Representative in Asturias in January 2012 was not a surprise to anyone. It was almost an open secret considering his career as Mayor of Oviedo for 21 years. More tense was the wait to announce his continuity, coinciding with the 315 days of the Executive of Rajoy. He expressed both in public and in private that he wanted to continue and did not hide his satisfaction when he knew that he would remain in office. Nevertheless, sources of the regional PP indicated that the party in Asturias had already requested his replacement months ago, and that the relations with the Government Representative were not the best.

In a way, it was almost vox populi that Gabino de Lorenzo would not finish the term in office. He himself, both in public and in private, had admitted among his close friends that he wanted to rest, and that his age had a weight on him.

The already former representative indicated in his letter of resignation that he had already turned 75 a few days ago (specifically on February 14th), and thanked the President of the Government for giving him "the opportunity to have served my country", which he claimed "it has been a great experience".

Despite the surprise of his resignation, almost at midnight, the news spread like wildfire. There were many members of the party leadership and also rank-and-file members communicating on the phone. According to several of them, not a single comment had been heard about the possible retirement at this moment of the Government Representative, although in some circles it was suspected.

After the initial surprise and the multiple reasons that one another were considering as a possible cause for the surprising resignation of De Lorenzo, the pools began on who could be his successor and how long it would take to the Government of Rajoy to appoint him/her, although many agree that it could be even imminent.

Among the candidates, several names were considered yesterday night, like the one of the president of the PP of Gijón, Mariano Marín - according to some sources, with many possibilities-; the former senator Dorinda García; and the veteran regional deputies Ramón García Cañal and José Agustín Cuervas-Mons. But everything was mere speculation.