Business leaders found support from Generalitat chief Ximo Puig to counter Podemos criticism. The gesture, shown at the AVE assembly on Wednesday, also announced the Valencian Community’s Company Day for the upcoming Thursday, a move requested by employers themselves. Puig framed the announcement as a tribute to the role of business in driving the economy and employment. The move did not quell opposition, however, and second vice-president and Housing Minister Héctor Illueca described it as an abnormal attempt to strengthen business leadership.
The dispute began after Ione Belarra, Podemos general secretary, criticized Mercadona president Juan Roig over food prices. From there, tensions within the business sector grew, a reality Puig sought to explain away as he tried to distance himself from Podemos attacks within the Valencian Community. This friction surfaced during a gathering of the Valencian Association of Entrepreneurs (AVE), which labeled the claim that employers were caricatured as the “rich man of Monopoly” unfair and misleading. The AVE meeting also preceded the Thursday announcement. The Valencian Consell plenary later confirmed the March 3 date for Company Day in the community, a move aligned with the Valencian Community Business Confederation (CEV) and echoing the organization’s founding date.
Puig announced the plan after meetings with CEV president Salvador Navarro and secretary-general Esther Guilabert. He stated that the company is a central operator in economic activity and job creation, and that employers, alongside workers, keep the economy moving and society progressing. He underscored that the Generalitat stands for business and called for social dialogue between employers, workers, and unions, asserting that such dialogue yields strong results and stability for the community.
A few minutes after the statement, Illueca intensified his critique, reframing the AVE gathering Puig attended as an unprecedented and anomalous attempt to elevate businessmen in democratic life. He argued that the initiative masks a larger, controversial debate and claimed that when employers win, they resist price controls and tax steps that help society, while when profits lag they seek financing and restrained policies. He also suggested that the push to elevate business leadership misconstrues the true role of workers in the economy.
Social networks
The critique from Illueca extended to social media, where he described the stance of large corporations as brutal capitalism for failing to share wealth. The messages were amplified by Podemos leaders, including Belarra, party spokesperson Pablo Echenique, and figures like former Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias, highlighting the persistent tension between political factions and business groups.
CEV sees the purple criticism as part of the election environment
CEV president Salvador Navarro thanked the Generalitat for endorsing Company Day and downplayed Podemos criticisms, attributing them to the election atmosphere. Navarro hinted at political strategy, suggesting the statements may reflect broader directives from Madrid, while reiterating the community’s support for a strong business voice that complements workers and unions in shaping a stable regional economy.