The image captured on 20 November 2021 across the streets of Valencia, Alicante, and Castellón keeps echoing through election programs. The topic of autonomous financing reform remains the central battleground, where both left and right find common ground yet differ on method. While everyone agrees that the current system is underfunded, and that changes are needed, all parties acknowledge that debt accrued under the present model should be addressed. The situation has been managed up to now, but it clearly demands a plan.
At its heart, unity among parties did not stop the flow of accusations and cross-criticisms whenever the financing debate resurfaced in this legislative term. The most recent clash involved a skeletal financing sketch proposed by the Ministry of Finance to the autonomies, which failed to win broad support in the Valencian Community. The PP leveraged the moment in its election program to pin responsibility on the Government, arguing that the plan relied on data from years past and left a financing skeleton hanging in the air. The department headed by María Jesús Montero seemed to aim at refreshing a reform that had become outdated since 2014. Yet that initial step did not spark immediate momentum. All autonomies presented their claims, the Valencian Community spoke with a unified voice in the Cortes, but there was no concrete response or counterproposal from the Treasury.
Months later, funding became a point of political contention once more. A year earlier, the PP and PSOE had agreed at the national level that the reform would be postponed to a future legislature. The Popular Party has since criticized Ximo Puig for his perceived silence in the face of the government’s stance, while socialists say their stance, and their leader Feijóo, blocks any reform attempt. The socialists argue they have not altered the existing model, while the PP seeks a broader consensus. The debate centers on whether the regional government has enjoyed the largest share of state resources since 2020, a claim that intersects with arguments about fair allocations and fiscal autonomy across regions.
Be “more demanding”
Meanwhile, Unides Podem, Compromís, and Ciudadanos have charged both major parties with failing to reach an agreement, reviving the old bipartisanship narrative that has framed Valencian politics since 2015. In fact, these three parties place part of the blame on one another, shaping a critical dynamic that surfaces in campaigns. Joan Baldoví has made this issue a central plank in his platform, underscoring the urgency of reform as a test of credibility for the governing coalition.
There is broad consensus that fair funding and the defense of Valencian rights should feature prominently in any settlement program. The tone of the campaign showed a willingness among some actors to pledge loyalty to regional priorities, presenting themselves as the engines of a more resolute future. It is common to hear promises about strengthening regional governance and aligning resources with local needs, with many candidates presenting themselves as key drivers of reform and regional resilience.
Ciudadanos argues that the absence of a new financing model is part of a strategy to scrutinize the tactics of both PP and PSOE in seeking a policy direction that benefits specific regions. In the view of Unides Podem, financing reform is tied to a shift toward a federalized Spain and a broader tax reform that redefines how resources are distributed and managed across autonomous communities.