The Alicante business community mobilized in response to very low investment levels proposed for the province in the 2023 General Budgets. This pressure pushed political groups to respond. The PP signaled participation in the street demonstrations, Cs followed suit, and Vox joined the bloc on the right to back the employers’ demands. On the left, Compromís and Podemos offered a strategy that questions the central calculations but aims to frame the discussion and possible outcomes. The Fair Financing Platform acts as a forum gathering employers, unions, and most political groups, except the far right. The PSPV of the province, led by national deputy Alejandro Soler, planned to present its position in the upcoming execution review on Thursday, outlining its stance within the evolving debate.
The figure of 160.8 million euros, tied to a budget that places investment under the direct control of the state, stands as the worst since records began and the lowest per capita level in the country for the coming year. The reaction from the CEV, the Chamber of Commerce, and Ineca was swift. They announced plans to meet at the Sub-Delegation of the Government in Alicante and to organize protests in Madrid to demand faster action and greater regional attention.
Business opposition to Budgets: protests in front of the Sub-Delegation and actions in Madrid
The decision sparked a stronger push in an election year, prompting the government to move quickly to calm tensions. The Government delegate in the Community, Pilar Barnabas, convened employers, the Chamber, and unions this Thursday to discuss planned investments within a budget framework that accounts for a larger share of funds for the Valencia region. The plan includes a rise from 1,208 to 1,269 million euros for the province. Although the Council chairman Ximo Puig has announced an additional 207 million euros for Alicante, discontent is not easily quieted.
The outcome of the Barnabas meeting is tied to the positions of Alicante’s PSPV, guided by its general secretary, Alejandro Soler. This is not a trivial matter since a protest by Alicante socialists could have amplified concerns about how investments are distributed under the Ministry of Finance led by María Jesús Montero.
The government seeks to reassure business leaders and pledges compensation for Alicante in the Budget framework
The PSPV has joined other demonstrations in recent months, aligning with concerns about the Sánchez administration. For instance, the protests last November over the Valencian Community underfunding took place under the umbrella of the Fair Financing Platform. Yet the push against low funding carries a broader message: changing the funding model requires consensus beyond any single party or autonomous region. Ultimately, the accounts rest with the national administration, composed of the PSOE and United We Can, while the PP has consistently urged more investment in the province.
Aitana Mas from Compromís, as vice-president of the Generalitat, argued for suspending partisan aims to avoid a civil backlash and focus on results. She noted that several initiatives seek fair treatment for Alicante, and Compromís plans to propose a Fair Finance Platform meeting in Alicante to chart a common strategy. Alicante’s Podemos spokesman Xavier López emphasized support for a transversal protest space within the platform, connecting the financing model with Budgets. Vox focused on Puig and Sánchez, arguing that the province has been underfunded for years and blaming the regional leadership for unmet promises that affected the cultivation of investment in the state. They framed the situation as a broader centralist dynamic that hinders other provinces more than Alicante.