Provincial Alicante, Alicante

With determination. With a sense of responsibility. With the desire to enrich, but always with respect for our traditions, symbols, features.

Spanish intellectual, writer and philosopher José Ortega y Gasset said, “Progress is possible only by looking far. One can only progress when you think big.” And I would like to add that both progress and progress can only be achieved at the local level…

When we realize that great actions come from certain moments, from certain actions, from people who combine efforts and synergies from areas of once intimacy.

In this path of thought and action, and in the historical framework of the liberal and constitutional regime of 1812, “La Pepa” gave us the emergence of provincial assemblies.

It is a project that will be completed years later, with the creation of our province and the delimitation of its lands.

During this two centuries of existence of Diputación de Alicante, there have been many political, social and economic changes and countless trans that we have had to overcome as a province.

Knowing, but above all understanding the ups and downs of our past, inevitably helps us navigate our present and glimpse our future.

Because only by being generous with the vision of the world our ancestors had, the men and women who came before us and who have achieved small or great successes to improve our lives… can we leave a legacy only by empathizing with their decisions. a paved road to freedoms, free from impositions and lack of solidarity, guided by progress and equal opportunity to new generations.

Ortega y Gasset would also explore the fact that “you have opinions and you have beliefs”. Both have brought us to the point of political and social maturity that we enjoy now, because the mindless man cannot carry out his actions without covering his actions with values ​​or principles, polishing them with the ethical beliefs we practice. in daily practice, they would not have had their consistency or durability over time. They will not permeate citizenship, nor will they permeate our lives.

The biggest challenge facing councils of the 21st century right now is to stop the inland detachment from dwindling as cities and coastal towns become overcrowded.

88 of the 141 municipalities that make up our province have a population of less than 10,000.

A scenario that calls for us to focus our assistance and protect infrastructures, cultural and sports facilities, social programmes, the environment and rural areas, and optimize road connections in our towns. Because Diputación de Alicante is a plan against depopulation.

Allocating a large part of our annual budget to small towns makes us a permanent cooperation fund in the administration that is most sensitive to municipalities and resolves their demands more effectively and quickly.

Provincial assemblies, regardless of their weight, are not static institutions of the past or stagnant administrations away from reality. They are areas of proximity… agile organisms… close.

These are direct centers of administration where effective policies are promoted, stamping out the stability city councils need to strengthen and structure the region… Contributing to a balanced and strategic position of competence.

Those who are against the councils and who, after all these years, still do not want to understand the vital and fundamental role they play in our daily lives, do not deserve to be in them.

Because asking other institutions or insiders that try to stifle our autonomy, freedom of action and decision-making, restrict our movements, suffocate our budget, to destroy and end them is a ridiculous and dangerous game.

We are the support of municipalities and hundreds of mayors and councilors who entrust us with the most important thing they manage on a daily basis, the well-being and safety of the people.

If there is one thing I am particularly proud of during my tenure in the provincial organization, it is the consensus reached with all the political groups of Diputación to carry out the most important investment plans and programs of the legislature.

Dialogue always promotes understanding and encourages moderation. I have applied this in a political context along with other administrations.

Demanding and maintaining our legitimate recognition in the autonomous structure, advocating for us to be respected and given our place as a province, and trusting that our demands and sensitivities are heard are allegations that have left their mark on my roadmap leading to Turkey and continue to be. this institution.

During all these years, the province of Alicante has experienced remarkable and fruitful growth. We have become one of the most prosperous regions in Spain, with one of the highest Gross Domestic Product rates in the country and a high international export base.

This pushes us to continue to demand what we deserve… Fair funding to complement and support our infrastructure map and our cultural, charitable and healthcare facilities.

Because of our weight in the regional and national economy, we will not abandon our efforts to claim a unique position in community gear. Because by making the province of Alicante great, we make the Community of Valencia and Spain great.

And in these claims, because WATER is part of the core of a region that is the garden of Europe, it was, and will continue to be, one of our strengths. The Tajo-Segura transfer is non-transferable. And I will say it as loud and clear as necessary. But words alone are not enough. Facts are much more important.

Diputación de Alicante is the only institution that always stands by the irrigation workers and farmers, defends their interests, supports their demands and takes care of thousands of families dependent on water in our region. And we continue this struggle stronger and more convinced than ever before….

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In conclusion, I would like to honor the mark left by hundreds of provincial organizations and presidents who came before us, who did their best to achieve the prosperity we enjoy today.

Pedro Zaragoza Orts was one of the provincial and municipal presidents, a defender of our potential and an extraordinary vision for the future.

Beloved Son of Benidorm and mayor of this city for almost two decades, Most Beloved Son of the State of Alicante, deputy and president of this company, his predecessor «Province Alicantiniz. Provincialize Alicante».

Fate, which is not capricious but prudent from time to time, wanted May 15, the centennial of his birth, to be commemorated in his beloved city in 1922.

To him, like many other presidents and lawmakers, we owe not only our respect and admiration, but also the growth of our towns and cities.

For them, for us and for future generations, we must continue to work on the new challenges presented to us: sustainability, digitalisation, innovation, rural population, health improvement, services…

We still have a lot of work to do… With willpower, unity and, above all, passion that is so needed every day, we will get it done. So much so that, 200 years later, those who took over from us experience the same pride today.