The negotiations surrounding the Valencian Civil Service Act have emerged as a defining source of divergence within the Consel since the previous legislative session, driven largely by language requirements for new civil servants. The talks continue to move between PSPV and Compromís, two of Botànic’s core partners. Beyond establishing the knowledge bar for public employees in the A1 and A2 bands—the highest tiers of the Autonomous Administration—there remains one final hurdle. Yet there is a real possibility that the outcome could shift significantly in the near term. The ministers of Justice, Interior and Public Administration, Gabriela Bravo, and Education, Culture and Sports, Rachel Tamarit, appear intent on setting aside friction, maintaining a steady tempo, and building bridges toward a political path that can take shape anew.
Bravo and Tamarit agreed to schedule a September meeting aimed at narrowing differences and reaching a quiet consensus, restoring momentum after clashes that have marked recent months. The gap between PSPV and Compromís has been a frequent topic of public statements, with officials on both sides underscoring their divergent stances and warning that compromise is not easily won.
Valencians have argued that senior officials must demonstrate language proficiency at a high level. The official language standard translates to C1, with the older term “mija” no longer in use. Socialist officials contend that a B2 certificate should not be required beyond what the public education system guarantees after high school, arguing that a competence the education system does not provide cannot be demanded. Bravo’s proposal instead suggested certifying a C1 level at the end of the bachelor’s degree, aligning the oversight of educational competence with Valencian regional authority.
The Public Service Act was approved in the Cortes in March 2021, but the exact knowledge level that Valencians would mandate for candidates seeking public roles was not defined at that time. Socialists and Valencians, unable to reach an agreement then, set a 12‑month period to formalize an arrangement detailing the required levels for each civil service group. Nearly a year and a half has passed since then, and the framework remains stalled. Without a breakthrough between PSPV and Compromís, progress remains elusive. The regulations stipulate that, following a positive assessment by the ministry responsible for language policy, the regulation must specify the Valencian knowledge level required for public employment within the Valencian Community. In other words, the Justice department must draft the concrete proposal, but it cannot advance without binding input from the Compromís-led department’s report.
Timing issues
Sources cited by this publication indicate that Bravo and Tamarit planned a July meeting to tackle the issue, but the session was postponed due to other urgent matters and has been rescheduled for the coming month as political activity intensifies after the summer break.
To craft the regulation that defines Valencian language requirements for civil service normalization, the Generalitat established a working committee consisting of political leaders and university professors. The committee agreed that all officials except those in A1 and A2 should carry the designated language credential, while leaving room for either B2 or C1 to be required. The Education and Public Administration departments now face the task of finalizing these details. The change will not affect current officials; data show that roughly 95% of the current workforce holds some Valencian certification and about 70% possess a C1 level or its equivalent. The new rules will apply to incoming civil servants.
Meanwhile, the Valencian Public Function Act is expected to introduce further changes. The central government raised objections to 14 articles in the draft, prompting a bilateral commission to broker a settlement between central and regional authorities. According to Bravo’s department, only technical adjustments remain to be published in a decree that should be issued, either by a general meeting of the Consel or as part of the Budgetary Accompaniment Act for 2023, a vehicle often used for a slate of legislative reforms.