Minister of Science and Universities Diana Morant began criticizing Consell for the Generalitat’s science policy on Tuesday and received a response yesterday from the regional department of Tourism, Innovation, Trade and Industry, headed by Nuria Montes. After the former mayor of Gandia’s continuity in the cabinet was confirmed and he became the main institutional representative of PSPV in the central government, the dialectic back and forth started the relationship between these two Administrations.
If on Tuesday Morant demanded that the regional government increase its share allocated to science and lamented that the special department on this matter had “disappeared”, yesterday sources from the Ministry of Forestry responded to the minister, making light of his absence at the Jaume I Awards. It was held in Valencia, when the socialist leader made statements aimed at PP and Vox executives in the press room of the Moncloa palace.
Sources in the region, headed by Nuria Montes, sadly informed this newspaper that Morant talked about supporting science, but did not attend the award ceremony of one of Spain’s most important scientific awards, which was also given in Valencia. His absence on this occasion contrasts with his presence in the previous two years, 2022 and 2021, when he was appointed Minister of Science.
Careful about fit
This department’s reaction came in response to criticism launched by the former mayor of Gandia against the autonomous government of Carlos Mazón on Tuesday. Morant opened the legislature, where he continued as minister and expanded his powers (he also added the Universities portfolio), acting as a ram against the Consell of the Spanish Government. In this sense, he pointed out that the funds allocated to science by the central government have increased and requested that the autonomous states expand their shares allocated for this purpose.
While he assured that he would be “careful” about this compliance, he said, “Not only the central government needs to comply with the Science law, but also the communities.”
But his most direct accusation, in which he spoke of the Valencian Community and the regional government, was his regret at the “disappearance” of the Ministry of Science with the arrival of the new Consell. In this sense, sources in the Ministry of Tourism, Innovation, Trade and Industry, which brings together the forces of Innovation, Universities and Science, which previously formed a single department, state that they will not respond to Morant on how Consell will decide. to organize its structure and argue that both Innovation and Science are “well covered”.
This is the first conflict between the Valencian minister and the current regional director of the PP and Vox; something that’s usually more white-toned and stems from something less than political anger, but it shows that even science can’t escape its grasp. .