The Valencian Government gathered this Friday in Vall d’Ebo. Two weeks after the fire that scorched 1,250 hectares was declared under control, the Consell travelled to Marina Alta for its routine Friday plenary. The Generalitat has not yet announced the compensation figure for those affected. Expert assessments and damage evaluations are still underway, with 200 files processed so far for this incident and for the Bejís event in Castellón. The Executive, chaired by Ximo Puig, met at the fire’s epicenter as a gesture of solidarity with those affected, approving the agenda for the day. The session opened with a notable allotment of attention to Alicante, including permission to pay six euros per night per stay to hotels part of the Imserso program. This decision came early in a day already packed with activity, including the second session of the XIII Seminar de Govern held in Alcoy, which outlined the 2023 budget.
The three-day spread of Valencian leadership through Alicante, especially in l’Alcoià and El Comtat, marks the Consell entering the new political year at full speed. This Friday was the first plenary after the summer recess, aside from the extraordinary August 30 meeting to promote the fire relief ordinance.
Consell prioritizes elections and advancing Botànic III while negotiating 2023 accounts
The selection of Alicante as the starting point for the plenary and the commencement of talks on next year’s accounts is not accidental. The state is framed as a strategic stage for the Consell, which emphasizes governance over elections while signaling that the budgets under discussion will not be the last of its mandate. According to vice president Aitana Mas, this budget cycle is the first of Botànic III. The aim is to avoid the real-time scuffles that frequently marked budget negotiations in the past, and to project unity and stability, though the outcome remains to be seen. For now, Compromís and Unides Podem have formed an alliance to strengthen the negotiating position against PSPV. One element that could tighten the bargaining is a tax reform announced by the head of the Consell, a move Mas reportedly learned about the day before the public disclosure. Still, sources close to the vice president stress that this time they were informed before the information became public, something that did not always happen in the past.
The Consell is determined to intensify government action in Alicante and address the state’s budgetary challenges. Recently, the Generalitat urged the central government to end the marginalization it perceives in the 2022 federal budget, which allocated a mere 15 percent of national funds to the regional community. The situation has been hardest in the province where the main opposition party PP holds significant influence. It is also the area where Compromís fared the weakest in Valencia in the previous election. The left understands that without Compromís’s support, retaining the Generalitat would be extremely difficult.
Among the measures approved at the Consell’s general meeting yesterday, the decision to subsidize Imserso hotel accommodations stands out. This policy is expected to ease the burden for the province’s tourism sector and calm tensions with the central government and the Ministry of Social Rights, at least for now. The plan sets a daily rate of twenty-two euros per guest for full-board stays. Some industry observers, including Hosbec, have criticized the rate as unacceptable and warned they might withdraw from the program. In practice, the edition delivered 30,000 fewer stays than the prior cycle, but it remains a pivotal policy for regional tourism.
On-demand transport expanded for sparsely populated areas
The Consell took the epicenter of depopulation in Alicante to approve a measure guaranteeing resources for communities in need. At the Vall d’Ebo plenary, the decision was made to provide direct support to municipal councils to make on-demand public transport a reality, ensuring access to education, health, and social services. A total of five million euros is allocated to 365 municipalities with populations under 5,000. Work continues on the socio-economic reactivation plan for Vall d’Ebo following the August fire, with initiatives to be agreed with the region’s socio-economic representatives.
The Valencia Board of Directors also approved the preliminary draft of the Universal and Inclusive Accessibility Act, a framework to guarantee full accessibility rights and compliance with accessibility requirements for all residents, alongside an emergency declaration to repair agricultural infrastructure damaged by the March 2022 storm, supported by five million euros in aid.
78 percent of targets achieved since February meeting
The Consell confirmed the administration’s performance, reporting that 78 percent of the objectives set during the February Altea Seminar were met across the ministries. This assessment underscores ongoing progress in line with the government’s strategic plan and regional priorities, as stated by Valencia’s leadership and cited by regional observers. In the broader context, the government continues to align resources with the needs of Alicante while pursuing a coordinated approach across its governance agenda, according to those familiar with the deliberations and decisions taken at the latest plenary session.