ADDA hosted the premiere act of the bicentennial celebrations for the Diputación de Alicante last night, a gathering that brought together mayors and council members from 100 of the province’s 141 municipalities along with members of the current Provincial Palace organization. In the words of its president, the popular leader Carlos Mazón, the institution highlighted efforts to energize the Alicante region and ensure that its towns, especially the smallest communities, meet the needs and services demanded by residents.
Mazón led the ADDA Symphony Hall as he presided over the close of the bicentennial commemorations across 2022. More than a thousand attendees filled the hall as the prominent figure delivered a keynote that defended the Provincial Assembly’s ongoing role in supporting municipalities, while affirming the ideals of autonomy and local decision-making freedom.
The evening capped a year rich with bicentennial events and served Mazón to emphasize that the purpose of the celebration was to show the usefulness of the institution and to review milestones that have defined its history. In his remarks, he stressed that the life and safety of residents in the province are the most important considerations handled daily.
difficulties
The State Legislature has openly acknowledged that the era’s main challenge is the depopulation affecting 88 of the 141 Alicante towns, each with fewer than 10,000 residents. For this reason Mazón underscored the institution as a plan against depopulation, supported by investments and subsidies. Speaking further, the director noted that this situation has led to a dedicated zone and prioritized assistance, with calls to improve infrastructures, cultural and sports facilities, environmental protection and optimization, and rural road connections within neighborhoods.
The contributions of other political groups forming the Provincial Assembly—the PP, the governing coalition, and the opposition PSPV-PSOE and Compromís—were acknowledged by Mazón. He stated that collaboration has enabled major investment plans and programs during his tenure, notably extraordinary measures aimed at vulnerable families, small businesses, and the self-employed, alongside climate initiatives and consumer bonds to reinvigorate the economy. The leader has also sought to extend conciliatory gestures toward the opposition, inviting compromise on the budgets announced that day. He pointed to four upcoming years as a period to confront challenges from events like DANA affecting Vega Baja, the summer’s fires, the pandemic’s consequences, and the war in Ukraine, all of which fed inflation and a historic energy crisis.
thanks
The president, mayors, council members, and other participants thanked everyone who contributed to making the Provincial Assembly the best support tool for provincial municipalities. Officials and staff from the 141 municipalities were recognized, with special gratitude to those in institutions and autonomous bodies. Your effort is rewarded, Mazón said. He used the closing lines to urge two key goals: fair state funding in the General Government Budgets and equitable water management from the Tajo-Segura transfer. Our province deserves respect, he added, calling for funding that would complete infrastructure and distribution maps. Water supplies were described as essential for the survival of farmers and irrigation systems across the region.
Other spokespeople from the Provincial Assembly’s groups joined the stage. Javier Gutiérrez of Cs emphasized that the Assembly remains the strongest remedy against depopulation. On the opposing side, socialist Toni Frances celebrated two centuries of the institution’s work supporting municipalities, especially the smaller ones. The Alcoy mayor felt the moment was ideal to reflect and push for modernization of the County Council, reducing bureaucracy and improving efficiency for municipalities. Frances also criticized his own party for not joining the Municipal Cooperation Fund promoted by the Generalitat, a move recently supported by the Valencia Community’s Supreme Court order.
strategies
Gerard Fullana, Compromís spokesperson, offered a critique of Frances while acknowledging that there are more practical ways to distribute resources to municipalities than relying solely on councils. Yet Fullana also highlighted the Assembly’s strengths, including the creation of spaces for dialogue and unity among representatives from different towns.
Regarding yesterday’s event at ADDA, the ceremony opened with officials arriving around 19:00. Mazón greeted the hundred mayors present and delivered a speech before the rehearsal of La Fura dels Baus Pastoral for the Planet show, a performance that sold all tickets at the Alicante venue for the night and the following day. The Catalan ensemble performed with the ADDA Simfònica orchestra under the baton of Josep Vicen.
family photo
After the cultural program, family photos were taken on a four-story platform set up in the ADDA hall. The district’s current president, vice-presidents, spokespersons, and other deputies, along with mayors and former presidents, appeared in the shots. City council members later signed the totem beside the gallery where the photos were taken. The night ended with a gala dinner attended by all guests.
Before the meal, Mazón and the four groups’ spokespeople from the Provincial Assembly spoke briefly from the podium, framing the event as a call for provincial autonomy and strengthened support from the Provincial Palace, with particular emphasis on the needs of the smallest municipalities.