The initial clash between the two main blocs in Alicante’s Provincial Assembly, the governing People’s Party and the PSPV-PSOE opposition, was resolved within a few days. Disagreements centered on how to allocate seats for state institutions within autonomous units reporting to the State House, including the Suma Gestión Tributaria, the Costa Blanca Cultural Board, and the Gil-Albert. The PSPV accused the PP of leveraging an absolute majority to shrink its footprint in these bodies, effectively placing itself on equal footing with other opposition groups Compromís and Vox. It should be noted that the socialists hold thirteen deputies, alongside Valencians and one from the ultras, shaping the power dynamics in question. [citation: Provincial Assembly records]
previous meeting
The meetings preceding the extraordinary general assembly held on Friday morning aimed at defining the deputies who would join the autonomous formations helped bridge the gap between the parties. As a result, all proposals submitted to the plenary session, a brief gathering lasting about ten minutes, were approved with unanimity. Intervention at the plenary was minimal, aside from the socialist spokesperson Vicente Arques. He emphasized the importance of timely processes, remarking that general assembly meetings cannot be postponed until the last moment. The mayor of L’Alfàs del Pi spoke to the assembly’s president about pursuing more efficient schedules. Tony Pérez accepted the challenge, stressing dialogue and consensus to foresee plenary sessions, acknowledging the difficulty of balancing the agenda for 31 MPs. [citation: Assembly proceedings]
PSPV and PP clash over structuring of Alicante Provincial Council units
The Friday plenary served to approve appointments of provincial agency representatives who would join various regional waste consortiums, the Gil-Albert board, the Suma, ADDA and MARQ foundations. The sole change beyond the initial proposal was the decision that Ana Serna, the first vice president, would not join the Gil-Albert board. The position will instead be filled by a PSPV representative, while the popular MP David Aracil remains involved with the cultural institute alongside Compromís and Vox spokespeople Ximo Perles and Gema Alemán. This arrangement completes the majority’s control over several autonomous bodies. [citation: Assembly records]
Board of Directors
The governing council of the Tourist Board will include the popular figures Juan de Dios Navarro, Bernabé Cano, Marina Sáez, Lourdes Llopis, alongside Perles, Alemán and two socialist deputies whose names had not yet been announced. In Suma, Navarro will again lead with Carlos Pastor, Perles, Alemán and a socialist MP. The group will extend influence to ADDA and MARQ foundations through bosses Aracil, Llopis, and Cristina García, along with two socialist MPs. The entire package was approved in a concise session where PP and PSPV managed to move past their earlier disagreements. Socialists argued that their representation remained proportionate across the subordinate bodies, while the Popular Party asserted that Compromís and Vox gained influence and accused the main opposition of obstructing Chamber operations. [citation: Assembly proceedings]
Following the plenary, Arques hailed the broadly favorable distribution of provincial bodies as a practical demonstration of representation reflecting election results. He underscored that PSPV’s role is to oppose where appropriate, monitor governance, and ensure the Provincial Council fulfills its duties without PP undermining them. The socialists highlighted that representation across the bodies remained balanced under the agreed rules, despite a tough negotiation. He also noted that the path of dialogue remains the best route to effective governance. In contrast, the Firemen’s consortium voted against the agreement, with Deputy Ismael Vidal stating that consensus had not been reached and that the PP had overstepped its target. [citation: Assembly records]