The political parties that govern the Valencian Community cannot agree on how to act to develop renewable energies. This has been staged again in the amendments that PSPV, Compromís and Unides Podem presented to their own Accompaniment Law. There was not a single proposal on this key issue that received the signature of all three.
The regulation of fiscal and administrative measures that accompanies the budgets and that has become a catch-all to introduce endless legislative changes was presented this year to Les Corts later than usual. It was always delivered to the parliamentarians along with the draft accounts for the following year, but in the latter budget it was sent late. And not even so. Yesterday, the Botànic parliamentary groups rushed until the last minute and presented a whole series of amendments to modify what was agreed just a few days ago.
The three groups did sign fifty changes to their own law, but the Socialists presented 15 alone; Unides Podemos 8 at your own risk and expense; and Compromís and Unides Podem, 25. The Valencianistas clarified that, under the philosophy of reaching agreements, they preferred not to present anything without the signature of another group.
As the socialist trustee, Ana Barceló, already announced at a press conference, and the president of the Generalitat, Ximo Puig, ratified at the control session, the socialist group registered without the support of either Compromís or Unides Podem its proposal to extend to all the family business the Inheritance Tax bonus. A proposal that annoys the partners even more when in order to get ahead it will have to have the support of the opposition parties. There was no negotiation on this issue.
Yes, until the last minute attempts were made to reach an agreement on the key issue of renewables, but it was unsuccessful. Compromís and Unides Podem defended that a series of improvements had to be made, as was established at the time to unravel the decree on renewables, to promote these energies and protect the territory. A commitment that was one of the first acquired by the PSPV trustee, Ana Barceló, after her appointment. This agreement from last May also included the creation of a Valencian Energy Agency, the development of which was already reflected in the second Botànic agreement.
In a press release, Compromís highlighted that the proposal to create the Valencian Energy Agency as "an instrument to give impetus to the implementation of renewables from a democratic point of view and respectful of the territory".
Despite this, the Compromís and Unides Podem amendment to launch this public operator that could even sell energy did not have the support of the Socialists. The PSPV proposed an alternative text that tweaked the agency's powers, but its partners refused to lower their claims.
Socialist sources explained to La Vanguardia that they decided not to sign the renewable amendments of their government colleagues, understanding that, with many projects already underway (most of them with European funds), "they change the rules of the game in the middle of the game." It would mean "a step backwards for many files".
In addition to the joint amendments with Compromís, Unides Podem went even further and presented, alone, another 8 amendments to reinforce municipal autonomy in the implementation of renewables and the participation of municipalities in photovoltaic installations.
On the contrary, there were agreements on other important issues such as the fact of including in the regulations the guarantee that at least one clinical psychologist will be available in each primary care health center, as recommended by the European organizations of mental health. An achievement that Unides Podem took heart out of because it has made this problem one of its priorities so far this legislature.
For its part, Compromís applauded the botanical agreement to eliminate the sonometry test that made the Valencian ITV one of the most expensive in the State. "With this amendment we take a historic step in the public recovery of the ITV service. A service privatized by the Popular Party and source of bribes to former President Zaplana," said the trustee of Compromís, Papi Robles.
