Consell’s first vice president, Aitana Mas of Compromís, asserts that the tax reform announced by Generalitat chief Ximo Puig of PSPV is not currently on the government’s agenda. The second Vice President, Hector Illueca of Unides Podem, adds that the initial step will be to scrutinize the fine print of the proposal, which was unveiled on Monday and lacks details, because as he notes, announcements are frequently just words.
Generalitat numbers two and three held their first bilateral meeting this Thursday since Mas assumed the vacant post after Mónica Oltra’s June resignation. The meeting occurs just ahead of the Valencian Government’s gathering in Alcoy to mark the new edition of the Seminari de Govern, which will chart the road map for the coming months. In essence, from the last political cycle before the election that began with discussions on the 2023 budget, Oltra and Illueca also headlined a meeting in Palau. They publicly pressed the socialists to secure approval of the tourist tax in the community. They succeeded, because after years of internal deliberation, parliament has already begun its journey. Now the alliance of Botànic’s two minority partners is reaffirmed, with a focus on tax reform led by the president, as well as next year’s accounts, where they demand increased funding for housing. The inflationary crisis binds the most vulnerable groups tightly, shaping the agenda of a large budget project as background.
Compromís and Podemos sustain tourist tax and boost employers and industry
Illueca and Mas issued a joint message to the President of Consell today. In brief, they underlined that Puig does not hold unlimited power to alter tax matters. It is true that both vice presidents agreed that if taxes were to be adjusted, it should be done using a progressive formula that prioritizes relief for middle and low incomes, a stance Puig has recently defended. Yet they indicated that for now, the Presidency is not negotiating any tangible terms with the Reconciliation Ministers and Unides Podem. Still, sources within the Administration indicate that the Ministry of Finance, led by Arcadi Spain of PSPV, is exploring the possibility and that the regional Treasury secretary is fully involved with Compromís.
“Tax issues are not on the table right now. They will be among topics to discuss in the coming weeks as budgets unfold, but they will not be covered at the Seminari de Govern,” the vice presidents suggested. They emphasized fair measures between the very wealthy and those who are vulnerable. In this sense, they stressed that any discussion should center on the middle and lower classes, and argued that the next budgets should be crafted to protect the most vulnerable.
Illueca’s remarks also aligned with that approach. Regarding tax reform, he said, You have to read the fine print first because advertisements often stick with slogans. You must see what is being offered before forming a position. On budgets, the vice president argued that public services must be preserved and social progress sustained. Budgets should reflect the current circumstances, he stated. He highlighted a housing emergency and warned that the European Central Bank anticipates this crisis worsening as interest rates rise. Therefore, there must be adequate funds to respond to these conditions.
Illueca criticized PSOE for blocking a new Housing Act. He argued that bold steps such as intervening in the rental market are necessary. In this sense, he noted that the Generalitat has already completed its homework with a study identifying precarious areas and is prepared to intervene, but they are blocked by Pedro Sánchez’s legal text.