depart from during the 2000s. Coalició Valenciana reached 0.72% of the total votes at the 2007 regional elections, well below the 5% threshold to enter the regional parliament, but a narrow gap when compared to UV's own 0.95%. Following acrimonious internal elections, Chiquillo quit the party and went on to join the PP, thus generating a severe internal crisis which weakened the party still further. Joaquín Ballester Sanz, a councillor for the town of Paterna succeeded Chiquillo as the Party leader. At the end of April 2006, Ballester Sanz resigned and in the leadership election in May the mayor of Náquera, José Manuel Miralles became the new leader. At the 2007 elections to the Corts Valencianes, UV achieved 0.95% of the total votes. The party announced that it would not run –neither by itself, nor repeating an electoral pact with the PP– for the 2008 general election. This decision was dubbed by its proponents as "hard, but necessary for UVs survival as a political party"; the party also said at that time that it was conducting an internal restructuring with the aim of being in better shape for the 2011 regional election. 2011 and possible merger with PP In 2011, the party announced that it would not contest either the regional or local elections due to a lack of funds and activists. This was the first time since its foundation that UV had not taken part in local or regional elections. On 10 April 2011, party leader Miralles and Valencian President Francisco Camps appeared together and announced the merger of the projects of UV and the PP, with Miralles urging UV supporters to vote for the PP in the May elections. In response, UV's Secretary General, Luís Melero announced that he would attempt to expel Miralles from the party to prevent it from being absorbed by the PP. Other members and supporters of UV decided to stand in the lists of other parties, mainly Units per València, which absorbed the UV branches of Carcaixent, Torrent and others, while Melero himself stood as part of the Units list in Silla. The party made a late attempt to contest the 2011 Spanish General Election but failed to secure the 0.1% of signatures necessary to appear on the ballot paper. References Political parties in the Valencian Community Regionalist parties in Spain Political parties established in 1982 Political parties disestablished in 2011 1982 establishments