One of Carlos Mazón’s initial steps as president was to reshape the Generalitat’s structure, aiming to streamline the administration. Among the changes, the second-stage senior appointments were reduced from 55 to 46 under Botànic. Even with fewer roles to fill and the rush to allocate funds, the Consell’s chair still has three chief executive positions vacant. The government took shape five months ago with Vox as a coalition partner.
All these roles report directly to the Presidency, and several are poised to take a central part in the political strategy Mazón is pursuing at the regional level.
Specifically, the directorate general for Relations with Autonomous Communities and Institutional Relations (within the Autonomous Secretariat for Institutional Relations led by Santiago Lumbreras) remains vacant; the Coordination of Government Activities and Relations with the EU, State, and External Activities (both reporting to Cayetano García, regional secretary of the Presidency) also lacks a filled head.
Since Consell’s establishment on July 19, appointments have repeatedly stalled, with only one new hire in the past two months. It is noted that the PP and the Vox Council already faced delays in changing leadership within the Emergency, a process that exceeded a month and a half despite ongoing pressure from socialist José María Ángel.
The Presidency maintains there is no reason for these delays and that the vacancies will be filled soon. Independent observers add that coordination with the EU proceeds with calm and thoroughness, underscoring the importance of building strong ties there.
Regional leadership gap
Regardless, it is noteworthy that Mazón left the Directorate of Relations with Autonomous Communities without a leader at a moment when the head is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the opposition strategy against Pedro Sánchez, one of the regions from which his leadership arose. The Consell continues to navigate this challenge.
This week, the president opened multiple collaboration avenues with other regional governments facing the central administration and announced several new fronts. He emphasized the need for allies, offering concessions to Catalonia and stressing that autonomies must work together to fill the void left by Madrid’s central government.
As described on the Generalitat’s site, this department is charged with advising on ordinary relations with other autonomous communities, developing and coordinating cooperation initiatives, and promoting institutional contact to illuminate potential agreements.
That same week, Mazón launched attacks on other autonomies aligned with shared interests with the Generalitat. A focal point was a business summit in Madrid with Isabel Díaz Ayuso, where commercial and political ties with the PP’s strongest regional leader were reinforced. Simultaneously, the Valencian Administration is in talks with the Fernando López Heritage government in Murcia to address imbalances and is exploring bilateral alliances on financing, tourism, and logistics with Andalusia, the Balearic Islands and Aragon.
The vacancy at the Directorate General for European Union, State and Foreign Affairs keeps the Generalitat distant from direct dialogue with Brussels, at least on paper. The official mandate notes that this area represents, defends, and promotes the multi-sectoral interests of the Valencian Community before EU institutions and bodies.
The third directorate, Coordination of Government Activities, is tasked with setting general guidelines for the autonomous executive’s work and aligning the implementation of agreements across administrative units and the Generalitat’s legislative and administrative actions.
Four advisor positions left unfilled after significant reductions
Mazón’s Consell also announced a notable cut in the number of consultants compared with the Botànic era. Specifically, the 116 temporary workers from the PSPV, Compromís, and Unides Podem Executive were reduced to 61. Even with this substantial cut, the maximum headcount set by the president has not yet been reached. Data from the Generalitat’s Transparency portal shows 57 advisors have been appointed so far, leaving four vacancies mostly concentrated within the Presidency.