Generalitat Valenciana

The Generalitat Valenciana (Valencian pronunciation: [dʒeneɾaliˈtad valensiˈana]) is the generic name covering the different self-government institutions under which the Spanish autonomous community of Valencia is politically organized.

It consists of seven institutions including the Corts Valencianes (or autonomous Parliament), the President of the Generalitat, or the autonomous government itself (or Consell). Its functions are regulated by the Valencian Statute of Autonomy. Despite being also present in various cities of the Valencian Community, the main locations of the autonomous Parliament, presidency of the Generalitat and the Consell are all in the city of Valencia. There is also an office in Brussels appointed by the Generalitat Valenciana lobbying before the European Union.

President of the Generalitat

The current President of the Generalitat is Alberto Fabra, who was born in Castellón and studied in Valencia. He assumed presidency in July 2011 and took office in Les Corts in the same month.^[1]

History

The Generalitat Valenciana was created in 1418. It acted, along with the Monarch shared with the other territories of the Crown of Aragon, as the ruling body of the Kingdom of Valencia. Originally its posts were designated for three year terms. In 1510, the process of designating posts was reorganized, becoming more automatic and less elective. This re-organization stayed the same until 1709, when it was abolished as a consequence of the War of the Spanish Succession and the subsequent Nueva Planta decrees.

The Generalitat Valenciana was not re-established until 1982, after the corresponding Valencian Statute of Autonomy was approved.

El Consell

El Consell consists of eight members, each the leader of an institution. These institutions are:

• Education, Culture, and Sports
• Treasury and Public Administrations
• Health
• Planning and Environment
• Social Welfare
• Government and Justice
• Economics, Industry, and Employment
• Agriculture, Fishing, Food and Water

The Department of Education, Culture and Sports is in charge of education, formal training, universities, sciences, promotion of cultural heritage, language policy, and sports.^[2] The Department of Treasury and Public Administrations is responsible for finance, the Valencian business sector, public service, and information technology and management communication.^[3] The Department of Health is responsible for health services and public health.^[4] The Department of Planning and Environment is responsible for public works, land and coastline planning, housing and building quality, transportation, ports and airports, environment, landscape, and climate change.^[5] The Department of Social Welfare is responsible for policies affecting social services, dependence, the disabled, family, children, adoptions, youth, women, and immigration.^[6] The Department of Government and Justice is responsible for civil protection, management of the National Police assigned to Valencia, prevention and extinction of fires, management of emergency situations, statutory development, consultations, professional associations, and notarial records.^[7] The Department of Economics, Industry, and Employment is in charge of the economy, business sector, agriculture, industry, craftsmanship, domestic and foreign trade, consumerism, and investigation and innovation of technology and energy.^[8] The Department of Agriculture, Fishing, Food and Water is responsible for establishing and maintaining relations with other countries of the European Union, other Autonomous Communities, local administrations, and citizens.^[9]

Institutions

La Generalitat Valenciana comprises seven institutions:

• Les Corts
• Consell Valencia de Cultura
• Comité Econòmic i Social
• Sindicatura de Comptes
• Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua
• Síndic de Greuges
• Consell Jurídic Consultiu

Les Corts Valencianes

The Corts Valencianes is the Valencian Parliament. It represents the people of Valencia via the members of parliament. These members are elected using a universal, direct, free, and secret vote. It is made up of 75-100 members, which are determined by the Statute of Autonomy and through the voting process. The Statute of Autonomy also requires any candidate running for a Seat must "stand for a party or coalition that obtains more than 5% of the given votes in all the Autonomous Community." The D’Hondt method is used to distribute Seats. In the VIII Term, 35 members of Parliament were elected in the Alicante district, 24 members in the Castellon district, and 40 in the Valencia district.^[10]

The Statute of Autonomy dedicates Chapter II of Title III to the Valencian Parliament, which only outlines the composition of the Parliament, the basic principles of the election system, their corresponding duties, and sets out a general outline of the Statute of the Members of Parliament. The Valencian Parliament Regulations were developed in addition to the Statute of Autonomy to govern the organization and functioning of this Institution. On March 4, 1983, the first draft of the Valencian Parliament Regulations was approved during the Transitional Phase. Since then, it has undergone several modifications, which were approved by the Valencian Parliament on December 18, 2006. The contemporary Corts Valencianes differs from its historical counterpart of the same name. The former Corts Valencianes was organized into three arms – Ecclesiastic, Military, and Royal – which had different duties than the Corts today.^[11]

Consell Valencia de Cultura

The Consell Valencia de Cultura (Valencian Council of Culture) is a consultation and advisory institution for the Generalitat Valenciana for affairs related to Valencian culture. It defends and promotes the region’s cultural and linguistic values. The Council’s headquarters are located in the city of Valencia, but has also held sessions in Valencian municipal centers such as Castelló de la Plana, Alacant, Morella, Elx, and Vilafamés.^[12]

Comité Econòmic i Social

The Economic and Social Committee is a body of the government that provides consultations on economic, social, labor, and employment matters. It is also a part of the public institutions of Valencia.^[13]

Sindicatura de Comptes

The Sindicatura de Comptes, or Audit Office in English, is responsible for the external audit of the economic and financial activity of the public sector in the Valencian Community. This institution of the Generalitat reports to the Corts Valencianes, or Valencian Parliament, but maintains functional independence.^[14]

Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua

The Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua, or Valencian Academy of Language, was founded in 1998. It is the official governing body over the native language of the region, Valencian. Like the Sindicatura de Comptes, this institution maintains functional independence but works under the Corts Valencianes. The institution’s purpose is to define and draw up linguistic rules and safeguard the Valencian language on the basis of its lexicographic and literary tradition and its actual linguistic reality, as well as the established Normes de Castelló (Castello Norms) that were approved in 1932.^[15]

Síndic de Greuges

The Ombudsman of the Valencian Region was established through Ley 11/1988. This office defend the fundamental rights and public freedoms recognized in the Spanish Constitution and Valencian Statute of Autonomy. The ombudsman is elected for a period of five years and may be re-elected.^[16]

Consell Jurídic Consultiu

The Legal Advisory Council of the Valencian government is the supreme branch of the Consell, Regional Administration, and local governments that consults in legal matters.^[17]

Debt of the Generalitat

In 2014, the government will try to enforce privatizations to try to stop the debt and balance the debt of the Generalitat. To lower debt, the Consell will sell assets and outsource waste treatment plants, sewage treatment plants, housing, and infrastructure as a means to generate income. The goal is to raise $300 million to address its problems, primarily to pay off the debts of the Generalitat, which is one of the departments that went over budget. The Generalitat is the third department to go over budget, after Sanitation and Education. Money to some departments, such as education, will be reduced. Other departments’ budgets, such as Justice and Social Welfare, will receive a slight increase.^[18]

See also

• Valencian Parliament
• Kingdom of Valencia
• Furs of Valencia
• Palace of the Borgias

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Generalitat Valenciana.

• Official website of the Generalitat Valenciana
• Valencian Regional Office in Brussels

References