Tony Perez, head of the Popular Party in Alicante, called on the president of the Generalitat, Ximo Puig, this Monday to pursue greater decentralization within the Valencian Community and to assert authority, even if it means acting in Madrid as if at home.
Perez spoke to Puig during remarks in which he argued that the region of Valencia concentrates too much power in the capital. He recalled promises from 2015 about a Tourism Ministry in Benidorm for the state and a Ministry of Innovation, or at least a fully functioning headquarters. He criticized the Valencia Innovation Agency (AVI) as lacking practical impact or sufficient office presence. Perez asserted that there is little evidence of the promised changes, urging real, operational structures to back decentralization efforts.
The timing mirrors Puig’s push to foreground decentralization of State institutions, a stance backed by a proposal from the Prospect Chair, though partners Compromís and Unides Podem have shown some reluctance.
Between support for decentralization and Alicante’s call for recognition
The province of Alicante is described as the great forgotten region in Consel. Despite its population, economic weight, tourism, and industry, it is seen as lacking the administrative clout it merits.
Critics argue that Puig speaks about restructuring the Valencian Community while seemingly overlooking Alicante’s needs. They contend he champions decentralization of the State without applying the same approach locally, and accuse him of failing to offer a clear example of effective regional governance. The concern is that Valencia continues to centralize administration and corporate activity, neglecting Alicante despite its port capacity, the dominance of tourism in the broader tourism sector, and a robust local economy with distinct products and key industries.
Perez emphasized that when public works are considered, Alicante receives a comparatively smaller share. He argued that this happens without a corresponding investment plan to elevate the province to a level that aligns with its strategic value for the Valencian Community as a nerve center for tourism and economic activity.
The Alicante representative underscored the need for a more balanced distribution of investments and decisions that reflect the province’s real weight in population, commerce, and industry. He urged that decentralization should translate into tangible offices and programs, not only rhetoric, so that Alicante can play a central role in regional governance and development.
In the discourse on geography and governance, the call is for a governance model that assigns real regional significance to Alicante. The argument centers on ensuring that the province can leverage its ports, tourism potential, and industrial base to contribute more fully to the Valencian economy and to national objectives. The message is clear: Alicante deserves a stronger voice and more concrete decentralization mechanisms that empower local administration to act decisively in its own right.
The broader debate thus frames the tension between a regional plan that emphasizes structural reorganization and the immediate needs of Alicante, asking whether decentralization can be more than a political proposal and become a practical path to improved administration and development across the province.