As 2022 closed in the Cortes Generales, deputies and senators worked to soften the blows from the war in Ukraine, rising inflation and energy pressures, with a strong focus on protecting the most vulnerable, while the aftershocks of the pandemic lingered. The Alicante delegation in Congress and the Senate submitted a total of 4,460 initiatives in these chambers.
Beyond nationwide concerns, two issues stood out for the province. First, a grievance about the General Government Budgets: although Alicante ranks as the fifth-largest GDP contributor, it remains last in terms of the investment it receives. The second major challenge concerns water resources, with water cuts from the Tajo-Segura transfer intensifying the burden on Alicante farmers and complicating agricultural activities.
The topics discussed in Congress and the Senate went beyond these two priorities. A sizable portion of Alicante’s initiatives also aimed at aiding families with fewer resources to cope with the war’s consequences, while revitalizing strategic sectors in the province. Tourism, facing pressure from the tourism tax approved by the Valencian Parliament, moved to the forefront. To illustrate its importance, the Socialist party highlighted the commitment to the Smart Platform for Tourist Destinations, which will host its national headquarters in Benidorm. Other government agencies discussed in the Cortes in 2022, namely those focused on Artificial Intelligence and Spatial Intelligence, were allocated to cities in different regions, ultimately assigned to A Coru and Seville.
most active
On the organizing front, Vox emerged as the most active group, driven by its persistent opposition to the government of Pedro Se1nchez. Alicante’s three deputies reported that Vox presented 2,523 initiatives, surpassing half of the total number carried by all Alicante-based deputies and senators. By contrast, the PSOE faced criticism for its comparatively lower activity, explained as a strategic choice by the government in power for another year. The year also marked a change in representation for Alicante, as in mid-May Josefina Bueno left the Senate to accept a challenge from President Ximo Puig to oversee the Ministry of Innovation and Universities, with Carolina Pascual’s seat in the Senate taken by Gloria Calero, a former Government delegate in the Valencian Community.
“2022 was a year of support packages for families and businesses to weather crisis brought by the pandemic and the war,” notes Socialist MP Alejandro Soler. The former mayor of Elche points to increases in the minimum living income, pension updates, and measures expanding access to energy-related relief as pivotal in sustaining the most vulnerable.
In terms of state affairs, Elche pressed for swift consensus on improving state finance and investment. Addressing the grievances faced by Alicante, the PSOE provincial secretary cited corrective steps by the Puig administration, including reallocating part of the Community’s 300 million as an additional contribution from the national government to support the Alicante region. On water resources, Soler called for an investment plan to boost capacity, treatment, desalination, and connections across the province.
Eliminate VAT
Work in the Cortes in 2022 yielded several measures, including an end-year decision to remove VAT on basic foods for a temporary six-month period. Families earning under 27,000 euros received a monthly 200-euro check along with other bonuses linked to fuel and housing costs.
“We put in real hours within our group because opposing work is among the most challenging tasks,” remarks PP senator Pablo Ruz. His proposals centered on educational matters, reflecting his role as a spokesperson in that area. Regarding the province, he cited issues linked to infrastructure, budget complaints, passenger traffic with AVE, and Elche’s revival, lamenting that the government missed deadlines for senator responses.
In Congress, Txema Guijarro, adviser to United We Can, underscored the budget issue. “The region, especially the province, did not gain from the allocations,” he stated. To alleviate this, his group, in coalition with PSOE and Compromís, secured increased Alicante investment of 51 million euros for railway projects. This brought an extra 15 million for high-speed trains to Alicante station, 15 million for the Mediterranean Corridor, and 20 million for Cercanías services.
“The investment balance for Alicante remains insufficient and there are many unresolved rail infrastructure concerns, such as the connections to Valencia from the south or Alcoy,” criticized Guijarro. He also argued that 250,000 Alicante families would benefit from government aid channels. In terms of coastal management, he stressed the need for an ecological approach, arguing bulk cargo should be sheltered in closed facilities, and the coastline from Alicante to Santa Pola deserved serious attention.
national debate
Ciudadanos MP Juan Ignacio Lf3pez-Bas expressed concern that Alicante has limited influence in the national discussion, noting persistent requests for essential infrastructures like the Mediterranean Corridor, airport connectivity, and the renewal of Cercanedas lines. He observed that the latter half of 2022 centered on budget processing and argued that Alicante is increasingly distant from the national average. He urged a more coordinated rhetoric from the PSOE and the PP as they lead their respective regions, particularly on water policy.