As of mid-January, the Alicante Provincial Assembly remains without a 2024 budget, even though the People’s Party holds an absolute majority in the institution. The draft accounts is the only document circulating publicly for now. A new meeting with the three opposition groups — PSPV-PSOE, Compromís and Vox — has not been scheduled, and there is no confirmed date for the plenary session that would approve the budget. At present, everything points to that general assembly meeting not taking place before the end of Fitur, which is planned for next week. It seems the assembly could be pushed into February unless the ruling team, which commands the majority and thus sets the calendar, changes course. In parallel, PSPV and Compromís met on Wednesday to align on a common budget strategy.
The socialist bloc has taken a formal step to scrutinize the preliminary draft budget unveiled by the government team led by Toni Pérez in the final days of the previous year. PSPV’s central grievance is that the budget put forward by the PP appears partisan, prioritizing municipalities led by the party in power. A socialists’ review highlights that in Benidorm, where Toni Pérez serves as mayor, Hosbec receives 350,000 euros while Visit Benidorm receives 90,000 euros. The analysis notes that they did not compare these figures with those of prior years, nor did they offer commitments about whether the allocations align with the actual needs and activities of the institutions involved.
Cultural promotion
The socialist report also covers cultural promotion programs, noting an allocation of 38 thousand euros to the Holy Sepulcher of Albatera, whose mayor sits as the province’s first vice-chairman of the Provincial Council, Ana Serna. An allocation intended for the Golf Federation stands at 70,000 euros, with only two of the five beneficiary venues located in Alicante. Benidorm and Algorfa, a PSPV-governed municipality whose deputy mayor is Manuel Ros, are the local beneficiaries. The document points to several “curiosities,” in the socialists’ phrasing, including provisions that range between 300,000 and 450,000 euros for xirimita and tabalet music groups.
The PSPV extends the critique to other sectors, including student beneficiaries. It notes 350 thousand euros granted to the University of Alicante and 150 thousand euros to Elche Miguel Hernández University within the resources allocated to the Alicante Digital Intelligence Center (Cenid). Differences in designation of origin allocations are also called out, with wine costing 100,000 euros, nougat 20,000 euros, and medlar 7,500 euros.
Regarding social initiatives, the socialist critique highlights three municipalities receiving 150,000 euros for senior centers — Biar, Santa Pola, and Aspe — with the Biar and Santa Pola delegations led by PP mayors. In sports, the campaign notes that all municipalities in the province must distribute a total of 650,000 euros, while the Busot residence, led by a former popular MP, sees an allocation of 890,000 euros. In the athletic sector, La Nucia is repeatedly referenced, with its mayor being a PP representative and several federations tied to events held there.
Historical heritage
The PSPV also examined how historical and artistic heritage funds are distributed. The review highlights 16 projects, with 15 benefiting municipalities governed by the PP. The report concludes by asserting that four out of five municipalities benefiting from drinking water supply are under PP management, noting that the only head of a municipality under PSPV leadership is Ismael Vidal.