The administration’s push to curb excesses and set filters aimed at keeping public administration doors open has, in practice, created a balancing act: it guards against excesses while sometimes hampering the very talent it needs. The result is a paradox where well-intentioned controls can become barriers to expertise within public service.
That tension surfaced when a technician, after a selection process with 72 applicants, chose to resign from the Ministry of Housing and Bioclimatic Architecture. The departure, authorized by Héctor Illueca’s team, stemmed from a mismatch with the incumbent duties, rather than a private-sector compatibility issue. The ministry, led by Podemos, has seen several cases where academic commitments collide with ministry duties, highlighting a broader pattern in which public service and university careers compete for the same professionals.
The problem isn’t simply about aligning with private-sector norms. It concerns reconciling a role as an associate professor at the university with a demanding public position. Compounding the issue, there is no string of guarantees that a professional can return to their original post once a contract ends, unlike certain political appointments. This lack of reassurances makes senior professionals hesitant to take on government roles, fearing a no-return scenario after the term concludes.
Expert Jorge Hervás, who joined the ministry solely on the basis of his technical credentials and without ties to the purple faction, explained to Levante-EMV that his exit was driven by the impossibility of balancing his university studies with ministry duties. He emphasizes that returning to public office within the ministry or resuming his former professorial post after the term is not guaranteed.
Hervás Mas is a seasoned urban-planning and housing specialist, a Doctor of Law, and a professor at the Polytechnic University of Valencia since 2007. He authored the thesis on the renewal of cities and has substantial experience with Next Generation Funds. Yet, as an associate professor, he did not want to sever his ties to the academic world. The policy forbids senior executives from maintaining a light, five-hour-a-week faculty engagement while serving in top government roles, a restriction that pushes some away from taking on public leadership positions.
Consequently, just days before the new university year began, Hervás Mas, responding to a university invitation, chose to step away from the Administration. This change was published in the Official Journal of the Generalitat, announcing his resignation at his own request. Jorge Hervás Mas thus left the ministry and the public program linked to Recovery, Transformation and Resilience, and the REACT-EU funds, effective on the date noted in the official record.
Within the ministry, Hervás was responsible for urban planning at the Gandia City Council. The decision to dismiss him came from Héctor Illueca this Monday, following Hervás Mas’s own request to depart, as the director of the program tied to the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan funded by European mechanisms. The administration publicly acknowledged his service and formally terminated the position on that date, citing the legal framework governing senior management contracts and the bases for promotion under the December 3, 2021, decision by the Second Vice Presidency and the Ministry of Housing.
The procedure for selecting two program-management positions associated with the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, financed by the European Recovery and Resilience Mechanism and REACT-EU funds, was cited as the reason for the termination. The appointment of the individual and the ensuing resignation illustrate ongoing difficulties in attracting and retaining talent within the public sector when coupled with university commitments and strict contractual conditions.
After reviewing Hervás Mas’s public posts from July 23 and 31 and August 3 of 2022, the administration confirmed his resignation from the appointed public role. This sequence underscores ongoing challenges for the administration in securing and maintaining skilled professionals who can bridge public service and scholarly activities.