After taking office, Toni Pérez, who leads the Alicante Provincial Council, signaled early on that he would continue the policy pattern set by the previous administration led by Carlos Mazón. In his first months, Pérez applied this philosophy to matters such as transfers and the Cooperation Fund. As the council moves toward renewing the agencies under its umbrella, Pérez aims to maintain the momentum of ongoing projects and push for a structural refresh that is expected to wrap up within October. The goal is to preserve a stable structure and operational approach similar to what exists today.
The provincial institution oversees roughly twenty affiliated organizations. If there is any doubt about the renewal process not having begun, a quick look at the County Council’s website provides clarity. The organizational chart shows that Mazón continues to lead many bodies, and several senior posts are held by MPs from the previous term who are no longer in office. In the state apparatus, several familiar names appear among Mazón’s core team in the Alicante People’s Party and its allies, including María Gómez and Javier Sendra. Former vice president Julia Parra, now a national deputy for the PP after leaving Ciudadanos, and former popular deputies Miguel Ángel Sánchez and Juan Bautista Roselló are present as well. José María Ángel Batalla, who left the regional Emergency Ministry at the start of September, remains listed in the organizations’ charts.
Activity
Within the network of affiliated bodies, Suma Gestión Tributaria, Costa Blanca Tourist Board, Juan Gil-Albert Cultural Institute, ADDA and Proaguas stand out for their activities throughout the year. Yet the renewal list is much longer, including the Provincial Energy Agency, Provincial Fire Department, Credit Fund, Marina Alta and Marina Baixa water consortia, Baix Vinalopó Waste Consortium, Geonet, Doctor Pedro Herrero Family Institute, MARQ, Mubag, the Water Table, Alicante Natura and Alcoy Muboma, among others.
Commitment to continuity also means a large portion of current directors will continue in their roles under the new mandate. Examples include José Mancebo at the Costa Blanca Tourist Board and José Antonio Belso at Suma. Gil-Albert, meanwhile, keeps public competitions open to support its cultural orientation.
Provincial Assembly plenary session: Conflict between PP and PSOE over Cooperation Fund and amnesty
The left-wing opposition groups in the Provincial Assembly, PSPV-PSOE and Compromís, acknowledge that the renewal process has begun, starting with Proaguas, but they stress several demands. Socialist sources indicate they hope the PP will avoid rushing the organizational changes and will instead pursue a dialogue-based approach similar to past practices. In the previous administration, the PP ruled alongside Cs. The renewal process has faced delays, but it has started in earnest. Perles, spokesperson for Compromís, notes that in many towns the changes were made in the first or second plenary session rather than in the State Assembly, suggesting variation in implementation across municipalities.
Courts
Valencians challenged the election of Altea’s former PP mayor, Miguel Ortiz, as administrator of one of the Provincial Council’s public enterprises, Proaguas. Both Compromís and PSPV described the situation as political favoritism and filed suit in the Commercial Court. Shortly after, the court determined it lacked the objective jurisdiction to adjudicate the matter.
The council’s leadership has set October as the target for completing the renewal of units affiliated with the institution, ensuring continuity with recent years. In the interim, Pérez took initial steps to lay the groundwork for the new responsibilities, including redefining power distribution with Ana Serna named first vice president and Marina Sáez as second vice president. The first ordinary plenary sessions of the new political year were used to advance key provincial initiatives, such as the + Cerca program, and to reaffirm positions on the Cooperation Fund.