From the Castle of Santa Bárbara in his native Alicante, the president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Carlos Mazón, has given his first end-of-year speech since taking office. In a slow tone, alternating some paragraphs in Valencian, he has opted for a speech far from current political events, to which he has dedicated only a few generic references.
Thus, Mazón has emphasized his personal commitment to convert the Valencian Community into a “space of serenity” and has stated that “it is time to commit to the encounter and not to the conflict” because “together we are better.”
The head of the Consell has shown his intention that the coming years will not be "years of quarrels, but of fruitful and effective work" because this is what "irrigators expect and demand to continue being the garden of Europe, the business fabric to implement their projects and have good connections such as the Mediterranean Corridor or the expansion of the Port of Valencia, as well as citizens and companies that need a simple, easy and effective Administration".
However, he has highlighted his government's intention to demand “rigorously, with a State perspective and without privileges, everything that could be denied to us.” And he has demanded solutions to the water deficit and underfinancing “from the rigor that supports them” to prevent there being first-class or second-class citizens.
Mazón has dedicated a special memory to the absent women for having been victims of the violence exercised against them and has expressed his commitment to "eradicate this scourge."
The president has described 2023 as a year of “profound changes” in the Valencian Community encouraged by “the good sense of its citizens and the search for balance.” He has emphasized that this mandate requires “rigor and seriousness” in its fulfillment. “Rigor so that the measures that come out of the Administration benefit the most vulnerable groups and seriousness so that the promises are fulfilled in an environment of freedom that allows the energy and talent of Valencians to be deployed without restrictions,” he argued.
He has thanked the messages received of “encouragement and encouragement” from citizens during his first months as president of the Generalitat in which he has been able to share the “enthusiasm, optimism and desire to progress” of Valencian society.
Mazón has also highlighted that the Valencian Community is a generous land and committed to the equality of each Valencian and the rest of the territories "because that is contributing to the development of Spain as a whole."
He also wanted to remind tourists who are visiting the Valencian Community these days, that "they are welcome because they are also part of our future and we want them to return and join this shared project."
As he did a few days ago, the head of the Consell has expressed his wish that at Christmas there will be no shortage of recipes with typical products of our gastronomy such as artichokes from Almoradí or Benicarló, prawns from Vinaròs or Guardamar, cava from Requena, nougat from Xixona and bagged grapes from Vinalopó.
And he has encouraged the inclusion in the letter to the Three Wise Men of products from our region such as their “magnificent” crafts, footwear, toys or books from publishers of the Valencian Community so that Their Majesties of the East do not forget “that here we all create together and in freedom".
Finally, he expressed his gratitude to the security and emergency forces, health workers, transport and cleaning personnel who work on these important days, and congratulated the more than five million people from Castellón, Valencia and Alicante on the year.
