Carlos Mazón, president of the Alicante Provincial Council, opened the Municipalism Forum and began his remarks by recalling a central goal he voiced last year: Spain needs a second phase of political decentralization. This gathering again centered on municipalities, with Mazón framing it as essential to fulfill Spain’s constitutional path and to strengthen ties between government and citizens.
Echoing the same tone, the chairman of the Provincial Assembly stressed that resources should reach municipalities that have already acted beyond what paper provisions would require. He noted that municipal councils manage their own competencies and, at times, wield what are effectively decisive powers. “They act as the first touchpoint for citizens who often do not need to wade through layers of qualifications,” he observed.
He also highlighted how democracy advanced when powers were transferred from the central state to regional communities. Those transfers came with the necessary resources, enabling autonomies to exercise those authorities. Yet Mazón argued that a second decentralization occurred in practice but not fully in law, calling attention to the gap between devolution and codified legal recognition.
Turning to the provincial institution’s role, Mazón underscored collaboration across municipalities. He pointed out a concrete achievement: access to 150 establishments in the Alicante province on the electricity purchasing platform, an initiative intended to present a more favorable average price to municipalities facing inflation and steep electricity bills. In the same vein, the assembly noted that over the last three years the parliament has mobilized the most substantial resources this provincial body has ever deployed, signaling a sustained push to empower local government.
The President also drew attention to the +Cerca Plan, a support framework designed to assist municipalities in navigating challenging events. This plan allocates 40 million euros to the province, a figure reflecting a robust resource-management system that benefits small town halls. The emphasis was clear: funds released by the City Council can be directed toward social policies or other essential needs, with a level of freedom that prioritizes those most vulnerable and ensures fiscal flexibility for municipal authorities.
A permanent and consolidated forum
Looking ahead, the leader argued for provinces to grow from within their own cultural roots while reinforcing the idea that the strongest municipalities form a broader community across the province. Mazón then emphasized the critical role of the Municipal Forum. He noted that the province hosts only two platforms for exchanging perspectives among municipalities: the BİLGİ forum and the Alicante Provincial Council forum. These venues should be leveraged as permanent incubators of innovation, not occasional gatherings. The goal is to encourage self-analysis and to compare experiences with others who excel in different areas. He stressed that the forums must not only be celebrated but also established as stable, ongoing institutions capable of driving continuous improvement across municipalities.