Claimant spirit. This is how the Valencia Community Business Confederation (CEV) signaled its stance during a plenary session held on Thursday, taking advantage of a moment when political openness appeared sharper after the autonomous region’s recent general elections. Salvador Navarro, the organization’s head, set the tone by urging rapid progress toward a stable government and pressed for stronger investment in Alicante province. He also pressed PPCV to fulfil promises on tax relief and simplifying bureaucratic processes, while calling for a rail link to the airport and the continuation of the Tagus-Segura transfer as ongoing priorities.
The keynote at the CEV assembly, conducted at its Valencia headquarters, centered on Navarro’s address. Given the current turbulent political landscape, the speech drew keen interest, and Navarro’s first demand related to government negotiations in the Valencian Courts, which began that day. He warned that prolonged negotiations would not work in the business community’s favor, stressing the need for an autonomous manager who can deliver political, institutional, social, and legal stability to sustain economic and employment recovery.
Within this frame, Navarro also pressed the Valencian Community’s PP to stand by the commitments made during the campaign. He highlighted what party leader Carlos Mazón has termed the Simplify Plan, now one of the top priorities for business leaders who want less red tape and more efficient administration. The goal is to reduce excessive bureaucracy, accelerate the start and expansion of activity, and provide clarity on case progress or the effect of formal administrative silence, Navarro emphasized.
Alongside this, the PP’s broader tax-cut agenda emerged as a major theme. Navarro noted that Spain is under unprecedented fiscal pressure, with tax considerations reaching historic levels. He called for a competitive tax system that can strengthen the productive fabric while also supporting measures to remove burdensome taxes, including the tourist tax, which Mazón publicly committed to abolish.
Navarro also addressed the government following the July 23 general elections, deeming the country’s State Budgets as unfair to Alicante this year. He insisted that investments must reflect the population size in the region and recalled that real weight has not matched regional needs across administrations since 2008.
Mazón insists on forming a “stable” government and confirms PSPV will vote against
The discussion then moved to projects considered essential for Alicante and the Valencian Community as a whole. Navarro argued that Alicante-Elche airport should no longer stand as the only major European airport without a rail connection. He called for the continuation of the Tagus-Segura transfer and advanced a state water pact that valued Alicante’s leadership in water management, treatment, and reuse, ensuring the necessary resources for socio-economic development. He also urged faster progress on the Mediterranean and Cantabrian corridors and the new Valencia Port terminal.
Navarro also used the platform to highlight the rising presence of women in government bodies, noting that women now occupy 27% of roles. He pointed to the ongoing transformation of the business group with the arrival of multinational players such as Volkswagen, Amazon, Stadler, Ford, BP, and Hitachi, along with a new Mercadona logistics hub in Sagunto.
In closing, the assembly approved this year’s CEV budget, set at 2.9 million euros. Navarro underscored that the organization’s private funding has grown from about 11% a few years back to roughly 63% today, underscoring a shift in the Confederation’s financial structure and independence.