With a little over ten days left in the year, the 2024 draft budget remains unannounced at the Alicante Provincial Council. No formal meetings have occurred between the governing team and the opposition. In parallel, the two main groups inside the provincial body, the People’s Party and PSPV-PSOE, are locked in a dispute over how funds will be allocated for the coming twelve months.
The discussion kicked off with the socialist spokesperson’s appearance on Wednesday. Vicente Arques pressed the budget issue and criticized the administration for prioritizing large urban projects such as the Congress palaces in Alicante and Elche, and the institution’s own headquarters. He raised concerns about property purchases in Elche and Benidorm, suggesting that the council had become a real estate operator. The PP countered through its spokesperson, Ana Serna, defending the stance on real estate investments while accusing the socialists of neglecting investment in the province due to an internal political rift. The message implied a misalignment between central government funding and local needs, with Socialists portrayed as focusing on internal squabbles rather than citizen welfare. [citation: Provincial Council records]
PSPV irony about budgets: Is the County Council a real estate agent?
Arques called for fresh negotiations to lay the groundwork for the Provincial Assembly’s 2024 budget. He criticized what he described as poor execution by the institution and projected a higher spending rate by year’s end. He noted that only a portion of the budget was being used, with a significant share consumed by personnel costs and ongoing expenditures. He pointed out proposed property investments totaling 77 million in Alicante, Elche, and Benidorm and argued that such expenditures should not come at the expense of providing more aid to smaller municipalities with limited resources. [citation: Provincial Council records]
PP’s response: PSPV appears more focused on internal battles than on citizens
In the PP reply, it was asserted that the council should proceed with these projects given the province’s broader strategic needs. The discussion touched on national budget shifts and changes within PSPV following leadership transitions, with Ximo Puig’s departure noted as a factor in the political dynamics. Ana Serna accused the socialists of boycotting their own proposals. The PP argued that projects once deemed priorities had been sidelined and maintained that decisions on the Elche congress palace would be expedited in line with earlier agreements. [citation: Provincial Council records]