Valencian regional government spokesperson Ramón Abad voiced strong criticism on Tuesday, saying that Mazón and the People’s Party disrespected the Valencian councils. He asserted that the distribution criteria for the Municipal Cooperation Fund were never approved and that no funds exceeding one euro were created in the Alicante Provincial Council. The PSPV-PSOE group in the Cortes requested the attendance of Cayetano García, the regional secretary of the Presidency, and José Antonio Redorat, the Director General of Local Government, to explain this year’s criteria and address what they described as a lack of respect toward more than 542 municipalities across the Valencian Community. The aim was to clarify the governance measures underpinning the Cooperation Fund and the logic behind the allocations. (Citation: Regional Parliament)
regional parliament
This topic has resurfaced multiple times within the regional parliament. In mid-October, PSPV filed a non-legal proposal to tackle the controversy surrounding the investment project, signaling ongoing dissatisfaction with how decisions are made. The PP, for its part, urged that the will and autonomy of the Provincial Assembly be respected and highlighted that a Constitutional Court ruling had annulled two points of the Valencian law governing the fund, while approving the rest of the Botànic project. This sequence prompted both PP and PSPV to frame themselves as custodians of certain rights tied to the fund. During the October 25 debate in the Cortes, the PP sought to influence the final configuration of the project established by the previous regional administration. Mazón’s camp indicated plans to modify the Botànic law, signaling a new phase in the regional policy debate. (Citation: Regional Parliament)
PSPV demands Consell appear in Cortes to answer for Cooperation Fund
Abad’s remarks followed the presentation of this year’s budget by the Alicante Provincial Council government team. Regarding the Municipal Cooperation Fund, the project—backed by the Municipality Botanical—will proceed without formal participation from the Provincial Assembly. Deputy heads Ana Serna and Marina Sáez defended the decision, explaining that the Constitutional Court had nullified two points of the Valencian law governing the fund. They also noted that the Consell is working on a new model in which participation becomes voluntary for the institutions involved. “We will proceed with caution,” Sáez stated about the potential for future involvement in the Cooperation Fund. (Citation: Regional Parliament)
Finance Commission
In the Finance Commission meeting held on January 29, neither side managed to close gaps between PSPV and Compromís and the government team. The fact that the government accepted twenty amendments proposed by the opposition—totalling more than 1.6 million euros—along with the more conciliatory tone struck by the socialists’ and Valencianists’ spokespeople, did not substantially change the underlying friction. A clear consensus remained elusive, with expectations that the Cooperation Fund faces continued obstacles. Officials suggested there would be enough arguments to push through a stance of abstention from the vote at the Provincial Palace in the upcoming session. The Socialists had already explained their vote against the prior year, arguing that the government team had refused to join their party’s position on the fund. (Citation: Regional Parliament)