Ministries of Economy, Agriculture and Housing, Ombudsman, the moon goddess, convey grievance files, information requests, or considered decisions. Based on the statistics published on the regional ombudsman’s website, the Ministry of Treasury and Justice remains among the most transparent departments in sharing information, following the Consell departments. These statistics cover files closed from January 1, 2022, to the present.
Within local governments, El Campello and Aspe are identified as the most opaque, with Orihuela, Torrevieja, Benidorm and Santa Pola following. The data underscores a long-standing pattern of limited transparency, a fact that fuels many complaints from council members and residents due to non-transparent access to consultations and documents. In this context, the institution received more than 200 protests from council members who could not obtain the necessary records.
not the answer
The Ministry of Economy did not respond to a single question raised with the Ombudsman. It did not cooperate in any of the 26 complaints that were closed. In four cases, it did not even address information requests or the Ombudsman’s opinions. Agriculture ranked second, cooperating in only one of twenty complaints filed by Luna, indicating non-cooperation in 95% of the cases. Housing finished third, appearing uncooperative in 31 of 47 complaints, representing roughly two-thirds of the total. Following these, the Treasury ranked fourth, with six out of ten closed complaints showing no cooperation. Justice trailed behind, with 36% non-cooperation in 53 complaints.
Beyond these five ministries, three other departments generate the most complaints in the areas they supervise: Equality, Education and Health. Yet there are notable disparities between them. Equality has received the most citizen complaints but has shown barely more than 10% non-cooperation with the ombudsman. Education accumulates 197 closed files, with 19 cases (9.64%) showing non-cooperation, and Health closes 176 files with 24 cases (13.64%) of non-cooperation. Ministries of Regional Policy, Innovation and Transparency reportedly did not receive citizen complaints.
In this context, it is worth noting that tensions between the Ombudsman and Equality received extensive media attention, particularly during the period when a former Vice-President led the ministry. The institutional relationship has improved under the current leadership, yet recent statements recount a renewed setback, with accusations of obstructing investigations into a care facility.
local assets
Apart from the Consell divisions, El Campello and Aspe stand out for a state of persistent non-cooperation at the local level. Ten complaint files closed in the municipality of l’Alacantí showed no cooperation. Aspe mirrors this trend, with eight closed complaints indicating a lack of response. Orihuela cooperated in only one of its fifteen closed files, a 93% non-response rate.
The other major town in Vega Baja, Torrevieja, appears next in line after Orihuela. The municipal team responded to nine of its 21 files (43%). Benidorm follows, reflecting a 40% cooperation rate with four of ten files. Santa Pola ends the list with a third of cases unanswered: ten of 29.
The overall lack of cooperation between ministries and municipalities, as shown in the ombudsman’s statistics, reinforces long-standing citizen complaints about transparency. During a Municipal Forum organized by INFORMACIÓN late last year, Luna emphasized that no municipality should ignore basic democratic procedures and the proper functioning of local government in the province.
bone scan
The ombudsman’s remarks provide a clear picture of assemblies where opposition lawmakers and ordinary citizens often receive silence when requesting information or filing complaints. This lack of transparency, beyond undermining trust, threatens the steady operation of democratic governance. Luna warned that democracies suffer when rules are eroded and government actions lose accountability.
Another recurring concern highlighted by the Ombudsman is the practice of shifting criteria when parties move from opposition to governing positions, which is used to argue for greater access now but previously claimed to restrict it. Political leaders across the spectrum are urged to pursue genuine transparency and to provide timely access to essential documentation and resources to prevent recurrent mistakes. The practical outcomes, however, differ from rhetoric.
In the two most populous cities of the state, Alicante and Elche, leaders acknowledge room for improvement. The mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala, concedes a push toward greater transparency, while the socialist mayor of Elche, Carlos González, notes progress in recent years.
Elda and Alcoy are highlighted as examples of better transparency in the province. In Elda, fifteen files were resolved, while Alcoy closed all eleven cases it faced. Calp is noted for full transparency among smaller municipalities.