The government of the Valencian Community (Generalitat Valenciana) has officially notified the regional parliament (Les Corts Valencianes) that the new 2026 budget will not be ready in time for early January. As a result, the 2025 financial plan will be extended in the region. The announcement came on the same day that the new regional president, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, took office. The document was signed by the Secretary for Finance and Budgets, Eusebio Monzó, and was registered in parliament on November 13.
An appendix to the letter contains a list of the parliament’s budget items with initial amounts for 2025. The authorities specifically indicated which of them will be discontinued this year and will not be carried over to the next period. This decision has already sparked debate among lawmakers and the public.
Opposition response
Compromís party deputy Aitana Mas strongly criticized the new administration’s actions. According to her, instead of proposing an ambitious budget to address the challenges of post-pandemic recovery, the climate crisis, housing issues, and improvements to the healthcare system, the authorities have chosen inaction. She stressed that extending the old budget is not merely a technical measure, but a serious blow to the region’s development.
Mas called the decision to extend the budget a ‘total failure’ of the Partido Popular (PP) and Vox parties, saying they had ‘condemned the people of Valencia to stagnation.’ She also accused the government of ‘irresponsibly refusing’ to seek solutions to urgent problems and stressed that the current administration is unable to meet the challenges of the times.
Regional Consequences
According to the opposition, the lack of a new budget will leave municipalities without investments in key infrastructure projects. Economic sectors in need of support will not receive new programs or subsidies. Families struggling to find housing will see no new initiatives, and basic public services could face funding cuts.
In a statement, Compromís noted that the region needs bold and forward-looking policies capable of ensuring a fair and sustainable future. However, critics argue that the new president has become a hostage to inherited problems and is not offering real solutions to address them.
Budget Process Details
The letter sent to parliament details the expenditure items that will remain in place for 2025 and those that will be discontinued. This allows municipalities and other recipients of funds to plan their activities in advance, but it also limits opportunities to launch new projects. Authorities emphasize that work on preparing a budget extension is already underway to ensure stable funding during the transition period.
At the same time, opposition representatives insist that extending the old budget does not resolve longstanding issues. They point to the need to update financial priorities in light of new challenges such as climate change, rising housing costs, and the need to modernize the healthcare system.
Political context
The change of leadership in the Generalitat Valenciana coincided with budget discussions. The new president, Juanfran Pérez Llorca, found himself at the center of criticism in the very first days of his term. The opposition believes his team is not ready to offer effective solutions for the region, and that extending the budget only exacerbates the situation.
In the coming months, parliament and the government will have to work on drafting a new financial plan. In the meantime, Valencia residents will continue living under the old rules, and political debates over the budget are likely to continue.
