The Valencian president insists on demanding "fair financing, water and infrastructure"

ValenciaFair financing, water, and infrastructure. This is what the head of the Council, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, requested this Friday on the occasion of the celebration of the Ninth of October. In his first speech on the Valencian Country's day, the conservative leader opted for prudence and did not deviate from the lowest common denominator set over the last few years, whether with progressive or conservative executives. "We must demand fair financing, the water that our countryside needs, the infrastructure that our companies demand; the resources that our municipalities need and the essential investments," he enumerated, omitting that he rejected the 3,669 million more per year that the agreement between the PSOE and ERC entailed, and before adding that "great agreements" are needed to face "great challenges" such as housing, education, or territorial cohesion.

To find differences with the demands of progressive governments like the one led until 2023 by Ximo Puig, one must look at the references to the organization of the state. Thus, while the socialist requested more autonomy and opted for a federal formula, Llorca did not ask for any change and limited himself to praising the current status quo. "Valencians without complexes—and not anyone's branch office—, Spaniards without doubts and Europeans without reservations," and we must work "without making noise and without asking for permission," were his only words in this area. In the same vein, he did not defend any measure to avoid the continuous decline in the use of Valencian. "The language asks for nothing more than the complicity of affection," he stated before citing another common place: "our traditions have no owners: they belong to everyone.

The president's speech, which was delivered entirely in Valencian, unlike the bilingualism that his predecessors Carlos Mazón and Ximo Puig opted for, concluded the presentation of the Generalitat's awards, among which, and with a transparent political message, the PP and Vox have awarded the High Distinction and the Grand Cross of the Order of James to the autonomous city of Ceuta for its "civic strength, commitment to coexistence and example of collective responsibility". Other honorees have been the poet Carlos Marzal, the musician Rafael Serrallet, the College of the Major Art of Silk, the bullfighter and painter Luis Francisco Esplá, the footballers Ferran Torres and Alejandro Grimaldo or the gymnasts Lucía Muñoz and Marina Cortelles.

Protection of the encampment for the right to housing

Upon finishing the institutional act at the Palau de la Generalitat, the public representatives moved to the doors of the Valencia City Hall to begin the traditional civic procession. This year, the event is marked by the political tension generated in Ceuta and following the eviction and subsequent death of Maricarmen Abascal. In fact, a large police deployment surrounds the encampment for the right to housing located in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento in Valencia. The operation aims to protect the campers from possible aggressions by the ultra groups that have habitually participated in the civic procession since the Transition.

PP and Vox maintain the majority

As is traditional, on the occasion of the October 9th holiday, several media outlets have published polls. These are the newspapers Levante and El Mundo. In both cases, the PP and Vox would retain control of the Generalitat government. However, in the first poll, the PP would grow by one deputy to 41 representatives, Vox would obtain the same (13), and the PSPV would gain three, reaching 34. Conversely, Compromís would be the biggest loser, losing four and remaining at 11. However, if the Valencianists joined with Sumar, Esquerra Unida, and Podemos, they would reach 14 seats; nevertheless, they would not prevent the PP and Vox from maintaining an absolute majority. On the other hand, El Mundo predicts a setback for the PP, which would drop from its current 40 representatives to between 33 and 36 seats. Furthermore, the PSPV would fall from its current 31 to between 23 and 25 deputies. The situation is the opposite for Compromís, which would go from 14 to between 21 and 23. Vox would also grow, increasing from 13 to between 16 and 18.