FEDERACION ESPAÑOLA DE MUNICIPIOS Y PROVINCIAS

The FEMP debate in El Escorial new legislation on Local Government


The statutory reforms carried out in the Autonomous Communities and Local Government new regulation on the state level, have been discussed at the start of the second day of the meeting organized by the FEMP, within the Summer Courses Escorial, in which participated the Presidents of Regional Associations of Municipalities of Valencia, Elena Bastida, Extremadura and Ramon Diaz.



The President of the Federation of Municipalities of Extremadura, Ramón Díaz, moved the message that the Mayors and Mayors, "we must end the sambenito of beggars and demand a new national framework to define competencies and adequate funding."
The Mayor of Villanueva del Fresno (Badajoz) highlighted the legislative advances that are occurring in the Community of Extremadura in local matters and the pact signed by all political parties to advance the statutory development in this line. Ramón Díaz said that the statute Extremadura is one of the local government because, among other things, establishes the municipality as the basic entity, and it introduces the mechanism of the involvement of local councils in the Autonomous Community revenue. In addition, he said, the statute takes into account regional balance and ensuring access to services for all inhabitants of the region.
The text of Extremadura, which is now being debated in the Parliament, includes an explicit recognition to the FEMP, as all communication with local governments, and demand that it recognize its institutional role in the state. Similarly, strengthening the role of County Councils as "the only entity that can ensure the provision of services in all municipalities.
For its part, the President of the Valencian Federation of Municipalities, Elena Bastida, started by talking about the improper expenditure with municipalities face before shelling the essential aspects of the new local regulations just adopted in this region .
The Local Government Act Valenciano, as noted, is a pioneer in legal and administrative aspects and because it creates for the first time, the figure of local cooperation fund, in addition to regular, also for the first time, the functioning of municipalities and consortia and, in general, the figures of municipal associations, with sufficient resources.
Elena Bastida said that the law provides a detailed regulation of the creation and segregation of municipalities, but not suppression, as well as strengthening the participation of citizens in public affairs and the increased political control.
Already a national level, the Mayor of Alzira, referred to the "pending" for the urgent reform of local government and a new system of local financing. In his view, are currently producing a stalemate and "we are still at the same place" many years ago. The goal would be, "he said that the new Statute of Local Government and the new Local Government funding will represent 20 or 22% of total government spending, as in most of Europe.
The Director General of Local Cooperation, Maria de los Llanos Castellanos, beat out some aspects that will contain the Draft Local Government Act, which will be presented to Parliament in September, as announced yesterday by the Secretary of State, Gaspar Zarrías, in this same forum. About this Law, the Director General said it will be a "text worthy to start work" and that the final outcome will depend on the "generosity and vision of state" of all political groups, because of what it is that is a law for long.
Jimenez Rafael Asencio, professor at the University Pompeu Fabra, said there was a real and urgent need to reform the legislation on Local Government, although the current scenario is uncertain and not very favorable. In his opinion we need a local leader in the world to push this reform, and then enter the political agenda.
The teacher, referring to the statutory processes taking place in the Autonomous Communities, believes that while progress has been made, it is not operating this reform is carried out from the autonomous regions, because the models are different in each territory and are not moved, in all cases to the national level, should therefore be undertaken by a legislator basic.