New Stage for Alicante’s Provincial Council: A Fresh Political Course and New Projects
In Alicante, a new era is taking shape for the Provincial Council as it enters another cycle under the current leadership. Under President Carlos Mazón, the council is entering a phase focused on broad public priorities. Toni Pérez, presiding over the Provincial Assembly, has signaled a commitment to maintaining the administration’s momentum with strong public backing. The road ahead includes shaping next year’s budget and confronting significant regional issues, such as water management and the vitality of the tourism sector, which are central to the province’s interests.
The agenda also features major infrastructure ambitions. The council is advancing plans for the construction of two new headquarters in Elche and Benidorm and is moving forward with projects tied to congress facilities. These efforts are being pursued with strong support from the Provincial Council of Alicante and the city of Elche. Additionally, debates over the Cooperation Fund remain on the table, with Mazón and Pérez aligned on the need to address its future direction.
Toni Pérez Defends Continuity of Mazón’s Policy in the State Assembly
One of the early tasks for incoming MPs will be to finalize the budget. Previous committee discussions highlighted the elimination of the Cooperation Fund and the IAE as factors that influenced the government alignment in the past, when the PP and Ciudadanos managed the accounts with limited PSPV or Compromís involvement. During the last term, the Provincial Assembly’s 2023 budget stood at 284 million euros, with 161 million euros later added from extraordinary funds.
Pérez has stressed that the province’s interests must be defended in key economic sectors, notably tourism, while also addressing revenue reductions and the Tajo-Segura water transfer. This week, the Provincial Palace renewed its appeal to the Supreme Court to halt the water cut. The agency’s legal team argued that ecological flows imposed by the government were arbitrary, warning that reduced water supplies could cause losses exceeding 84 million euros and threaten about 2,400 jobs.
Progress and Prospects
The new political cycle should solidify support for a slate of ongoing projects. Among them are two new headquarters in the province. In Elche, the Provincial Assembly will be housed in the central building of the Mediterranean Foundation, an acquisition valued at around 6.5 million euros that will require renovation. For Costa Blanca’s tourism capital, the plenary session in June authorized a property purchase worth 5.2 million euros in the municipal center.
Further progress is anticipated in the construction plans for the two congress palace buildings. In Alicante, project selection is expected to extend to November after receiving around a hundred proposals. In Elche, the city council received a 4.4 million euro payment from the provincial agency in early July to acquire land for the building, with the aim of turning the December 2018 project into reality within this term of office.
On the Cooperation Fund, Pérez has indicated he intends to maintain the policy direction set by Mazón, who has been outspoken about supporting the Botany investment program despite ongoing judicial considerations. The focus remains on ensuring the province’s priorities are safeguarded through legal and administrative channels.
Representatives speaking for the parties emphasize different angles. The president of the Provincial Council, Toni Pérez, reiterates his commitment to Mazón’s leadership and to defending water resources and tourism as core concerns. Vicente Arques, spokesman for the PSPV-PSOE group, points to the need for accelerating plan implementation, attracting European funds, and boosting aid to municipalities with fewer than 20,000 residents. Ximo Perlés, spokesman for Compromís, highlights attention to the province’s smaller communities and depopulation as pressing challenges. Gema Alemán, a Vox spokesperson, notes Vox’s entry into the Provincial Council and supports state leadership while opposing autonomous decentralization.
Citation: For a detailed overview of policy directions and project timelines, the Provincial Council sources provide the context and rationale behind these decisions. (Citation: Provincial Council of Alicante, annual plan review and budget documents)