The PSOE Pressures Barcala and Demands the Dismissal of the Finance Councillor from All His Duties

Progress in the negotiation of the 'adjustment plan' that the Alicante City Council must approve after exceeding the spending rule by 27 million. The spokesperson of the

Socialist Municipal Group, Ana Barceló, held a meeting this Thursday with the spokesperson of the popular group, Mari Carmen de España, to try to unblock the situation. The meeting was scheduled for last Monday but was eventually postponed.

The socialists have put forward their offer to abstain in the approval, which would allow the economic and financial plan to go ahead, as the spokesperson announced earlier this week.

However, there are conditions. The socialists ask the popular group not to approve

any of the measures that are part of Vox's blackmail - including the prohibition of Muslim burials or authorizing all of Alicante's cultural programming before it is published. They consider these measures "would mean a setback in rights in a supportive, open, and welcoming city like Alicante."

The other condition is the dismissal of all duties of the Finance Councillor, Toni Gallego. Barceló explained that the situation created makes it unsustainable for Gallego to remain in charge of his duties in Economy and Finance, Sports, and Heritage. "It would not be coherent to request his dismissal only in Finance, where his poor management has been demonstrated, and leave him in charge of other areas where he must manage a budget."

Barceló defended that the socialist proposal seeks to prevent citizens from "suffering the consequences of the misogynistic, xenophobic, and homophobic pact promoted by the far-right," and claimed her group's position as "responsible and with a vocation for government."

Finally, she pointed out that she trusts the municipal technicians have prepared a plan adjusted to the requirements of the Ministry of Finance, although she acknowledged that the opposition does not have enough information to present an alternative.

The municipal Intervention has detected in the liquidation of the last budgetary exercise an excess of 27.2 million euros in the spending rule of the City Council. An increase in the relationship between municipal expenses and income that will require cutting another amount during the next two exercises (2025 and 2026) to recover it, according to the law.

The regulations indicate that municipalities must, at a minimum, maintain a balance between income and expenses. And that investments are sustainable. That is, they do not generate more perpetual spending in the future. All these rules were taken after the 2008-2011 financial crisis to prevent public administrations from going bankrupt. Especially municipalities, the first link for citizens and the most difficult to finance as they cannot access debt markets like central governments.

In the report on the liquidation of the 2024 municipal budgets, "it is verified" that

the Alicante City Council has "budgetary stability; a surplus of more than 17 million euros difference between income and expenses in 2024, and unused borrowing capacity of more than 100 million euros." However, it has exceeded the spending ceiling set by fiscal rules.