One out of every three municipalities in the Community of Valencia threatened by population declinemainly due to the aging of its inhabitants, the loss of the dynamism of agricultural activities, the less diversification of the productive and economic fabric of the environment, or the lack of infrastructure and services.
According to the Valencia Anti-Depopulation Agenda (Avant), 178 of the 542 municipalities that make up the autonomy suffer from this problem, so the need to take action to stop rural migration is reflected in the electoral programs of the main political parties. The parties will participate in the regional elections to be held on 28 May.
The bloc on the left agrees to guarantee access to basic services for the population of these municipalities and invest in their infrastructure. PSPV-PSOE advocates for these measures to be expressed through the Municipal Cooperation Fund, which is already in place. It also commits to promoting remote work to subsidize the recovery of abandoned land to support the resettlement of the young population or also to contribute to fire prevention.
Commitment, in economic matters, proposes a rural income that allows residents to be established. and stimulating the local economy. It also advocates a model for the “subject to rural development” application of renewable energies.
A proposal in line with that of Unides Podem-EU, which frames a strategic plan that protects local businesses against macro solar plants while offering greater support for cooperatives. The purple ones also advocate for a larger VET proposition in typical occupations.
rate reduction
The common denominator of right-wing parties is tax reduction and tax advantages. The Popular Party is making plans to reduce the Transmission Tax to a super discounted rate of 3% for housing purchases in depopulated municipalities, as well as incentives for entrepreneurs and business start-ups.
In Ciudadanos, they also consider promoting strategic sectors with tax and contracting advantages, while promoting public-private cooperation to develop new projects in the rural environment as a whole.
Vox once again joins the rest of the conservative bloc with a tax cut for families and companies in exchange for staying or settling in these locations. However, the far-right formation stands out by advocating the repeal of what it calls the “climate law” in order to “protect” agriculture and animal husbandry.