Spanish government uses casting vote to appoint Valencia infrastructure chief amid PP blockade
The Spanish government appointed Vicente Palomo as director of the Valencia Parque Central society using its casting vote, overriding opposition from the PP-led regional and city governments that have blocked the appointment of the government delegate to the board since February.
The appointment
Vicente Palomo Torralba was named the new director general of the Sociedad Parque Central on Thursday, replacing Salvador Martínez Císcar who retired on 2 July. Palomo, an engineer, spent the last eight years as head of the technical office for the Mediterranean Corridor and previously served as an advisor in the Valencian housing department. The Ministry of Transport described him as "a technical, solvent profile, with experience and broad consensus in the sector." The appointment passed only because the president of the society, Secretary of State for Transport José Antonio Santano, used his casting vote after the Generalitat and Valencia City Council voted against.
Political blockade
The vote is the latest episode in a months-long standoff. Since February, the PP-led regional and city governments have blocked the entry of government delegate Pilar Bernabé onto the board as Adif's representative. They conditioned her approval on a consensus candidate for the manager post. The government accuses them of a political veto. "We are facing a political veto, something that has never happened in the society's history," ministry sources said. The City Council, led by Mayor María José Catalá, had proposed architect Julio Gómez-Perretta as an alternative, but the government says no formal alternative was submitted.
- Ministry suspends general meeting over attempted veto of Pilar Bernabé's board appointment.
- Previous general meeting records the link between the manager appointment and Bernabé's entry.
- Previous manager Salvador Martínez Císcar retires.
- Vicente Palomo appointed by casting vote; Bernabé's appointment remains blocked.
Reactions
The City Council issued a statement denouncing the "imposition" and claiming the government "has not even wanted to sit down to agree on the name." It added that the government "sacrificed" Bernabé's appointment by forcing through Palomo. The Ministry countered that Catalá and the Generalitat "say publicly they want a technical profile, but they have tried to boycott his election until the end, and without proposing an alternative." The rupture breaks a 20-year tradition of consensus in the society, which is jointly owned by the central government (50%), the Generalitat (25%), and the City Council (25%).
- Government (50%)
- 50 %
- Generalitat (25%)
- 25 %
- City Council (25%)
- 25 %
What's at stake
The Sociedad Parque Central manages Valencia's largest urban and railway redevelopment, including the future access channel and the tunnel pasante. The political conflict risks delaying key infrastructure projects. The government insists it remains committed to all railway infrastructure in the city. The next municipal elections loom, with Bernabé expected to be the PSOE candidate against Catalá, adding electoral stakes to the institutional clash.
