The latest move from Generalitat president and PSPV-PSOE leader Ximo Puig, aimed at revitalizing the debate on decentralizing state institutions, has not produced clear momentum in the circumstances examined. The central government has dismissed the Consell chief’s plan to relocate existing state administration offices. Elizabeth Rodríguez, the Executive Spokesperson and Minister for Regional Policy, offered a sharp rebuke on Tuesday, arguing that dismantling headquarters only affects newly created entities and does not alter the fundamental architecture of the State, such as the Supreme Court or the Senate. Consequently, Puig, who struggled to gain robust backing within his own political circle, appears distant from the practical implications of his proposal. The Valencian left did not marshal the force expected to defend renewed institutional deconcentration ideas. Instead, attention shifted toward pressuring the Government to honor investments pledged to the Community since last year, with only 42% of the budget allocations realized to date. Critics framed Puig’s plan as a cosmetic move for an autonomous state, insisting that what was needed was a constitutional reform. Valencia, in turn, rejected the right’s position and pressed Pedro Sánchez to fulfill the planned investments. Ultimately, the Valencian Parliament highlighted concerns over the national government’s wasteful spending in the autonomous region rather than the decentralization project itself.
The decentralization proposal is the best way to unify Spain and give it the relevance that the regions have
A more decisive way to decentralize is to meet budgets; invest every euro
It is a make-up proposal that does not fundamentally appeal to what the country needs. The regional model is outdated
Puig should stop monopolizing government agencies and demand investments
As long as there is more effective management, it is not bad for us that institutions can stay out of capital
Not talking about waiting lists in healthcare or brainwashing in training centers is a smokescreen
Controversies over the opportunity to dissolve government agencies are not new, and Puig’s position is well known. In fact, it is a Guardianesque issue that has flickered and vanished in national debates, provoking heated clashes between the Valencian leader and Isabel Díaz Ayuso, head of the Community of Madrid. This Tuesday, the Consell president again navigated these extremes. He argued that it makes no sense for every function to be headquartered in Madrid and that decentralized, shared wealth benefits all regions.
The new element is the support for Puig’s claim in a report commissioned by the prospectus head of Prospect 2030. The document outlines moving up to ten State headquarters from Madrid. Presented during a seminar titled Polyphonic and Decentralized Spain, the report suggests relocating RTVE’s electoral debate to Valencia and staging Spain Day in cities outside Madrid. It also recommends moving Puertos del Estado to Valencia, the Constitutional Court to Cádiz, and establishing Prado and Reina Sofía Museum headquarters in Murcia, Cantabria, and Andalusia. Yet the central Executive did not treat this proposal as a priority. Rodríguez described Puig’s statements as rooted in an academic context, emphasizing the government’s commitment to intensification while noting that this does not imply alterations to the core structures of existing institutions.
Valencian Community launches plan to remove up to ten State centers from Madrid
What the Consell president achieved this time is to elevate the deconcentration debate to the national stage, sparking varied reactions. Carlos Fernández Carriedo, spokesman for the Junta de Castilla y León, cautioned against discussing decentralization as if it were a regional single-head concern, or a public administration tethered to a specific time and place.
Meanwhile, regional leaders such as María Chivite of La Rioja, Concha Andreu of Navarra, and the Navarra government reiterated openness to hosting State headquarters in their autonomous communities as part of the decentralization process. However, their proposals differ from Puig’s approach. Andreu warned against alarmism, explaining that the goal is not to remove an entity from one region and plant it elsewhere but to adapt to evolving needs with new organisms or the reproduction of existing ones.
In this evolving context, the novelty lies in the idea that the Generalitat’s president has gained support for a plan that carries a national scope. Some voices indicate a broader debate about where state offices should be located and how to distribute responsibilities across autonomous communities to reflect modern realities. The administration continues to emphasize a commitment to intensifying reforms while maintaining the integrity and functioning of essential institutions.