The Minister of Finance and head of the Socialist ticket for Congress for Valencia, Arcadi España, has warned that on November 29 next, at the polls, it will be decided whether pensions continue to rise or go backward. At the same time, he has criticized that the PPCV resorts to former Government presidents José María Aznar and Mariano Rajoy to set the course of its political project, and he has cast doubt on whether they are the ideal figures that the PP chooses for its events in Alicante. "Aznar and Rajoy are not suitable benchmarks for the Comunitat Valenciana or for the province of Alicante," he said.
España has emphasized that Aznar was the president who "got Spain into" the Iraq war and has recalled "the lies about the 11M attacks," while he has stressed that Rajoy was the president "who raised taxes the most during democracy." For the Socialist leader, "these visits show the lack of direction of the Valencian PP and its political shift toward Vox," as highlighted by the Partido Socialista in a statement.
Against this model, Arcadi España has defended a campaign based on "education, respect, and proposals," and he has called for the political debate to focus on the everyday problems of citizens, such as access to housing and maintaining the purchasing power of pensions. "Citizens want education in the political debate and for proposals to be discussed, and in no case for it to be with insults and for discrediting and dehumanizing the opponent," he said.
On pensions, España has highlighted that "the Government of Pedro Sánchez has increased the average retirement pension by 44 percent" and has contrasted the automatic revaluation in line with the CPI with the models that, as he has denounced, are defended by PP and Vox. "With the vote, it can be decided whether we want to continue revaluing pensions in the coming years or whether we do not want to do so," he emphasized, referring to one of the decisions that will be settled at the polls on November 29 next.
Reinforcement of municipalism and local funding
For his part, Toni Francés, number one for Alicante to the Congress, has claimed the “municipalist bet” of the Government of Pedro Sánchez and the strengthening of funding for town halls. As he has explained, “during this term, the municipalities in the province have received 40% more non-earmarked transfers, which amounts to more than 180 million euros additional earmarked to strengthen public services, social welfare policies, care for citizens, and the upkeep of the cities.”
Francés has highlighted that these resources, together with the Next Generation European funds, “make it possible to modernize and transform the municipalities.” Likewise, he has contrasted this policy of trust in town halls with the actions of the Partido Popular, which he has accused of “historically limiting” the capacity of local administrations to develop public policies.
The Socialist leader has argued that town halls are the administration that best knows citizens’ problems and is in the best position to offer solutions, which is why they need sufficient resources and autonomy to manage them.