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Coalició Compromís
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Coalició Compromís ([koalisiˈo kompɾoˈmis], lit. 'Commitment Coalition' or 'Compromise Coalition'), also known as Compromís,[17][18] is a Valencianist electoral coalition in the Valencian Community, Spain. The parties involved include Més-Compromís, the left-wing Valencian People's Initiative, and the ecologist group Greens Equo of the Valencian Country and independent members. Together, they support Valencianist, progressive and ecological politics.
Key Information
Compromís was founded in January 2010 to participate in the 2011 elections to the Valencian parliament, and the 2011 local elections. Since the 2015 election year, Compromís has significantly increased its representation in many institutions. As of 2022, the party has 724 councillors all over the Valencian Autonomous Community, 17 parliamentary representatives in the Valencian parliament (Corts Valencianes), one representative in the Congress of Deputies of Spain and one in the Spanish Senate. In the past, it also had one representative in the European Parliament. In the 2015 local elections also has six representatives in the Deputation of Valencia (València), two in Castellón (Castelló), three in Alicante (Alacant) and 84 mayor's offices, among them, the capital city of Valencia.
History
[edit]In the 2011 Valencian election, Compromís received 176.213 votes (7% of the votes) and 6 of the 99 seats.
In the 2011 Spanish general election, running in coalition with Equo in the three Valencian provinces, it won 0.5% of the national vote and 1 MP in Congress (Joan Baldoví), nearing 5% of the total vote in the Valencian Community.
In the 2014 European Parliament election it won 1 seat within the European Spring (Spanish: Primavera Europea) coalition with other parties (such as Chunta Aragonesista or Equo).
In the 2015 Valencian election, Compromís polled third overall after the People's Party (PP) and the Valencian Socialists (PSPV). Compromís got 456.823 votes (18.5% of the votes) and 19 of the 99 seats. The election results allowed a new government to be formed by Compromís and PSPV, with the parliamentary support of Podemos. After negotiations, Mònica Oltra from Compromís was elected as Vice president of Generalitat Valenciana and Ximo Puig from PSPV as President.
For the 2015 Spanish general election, Compromís formed a coalition with Podemos, called Compromís-Podem-És el moment. This new coalition was the second most popular political force in the Valencian Country, surpassing the PSPV. They received 671.071 votes, 25,09% of the total vote in the Valencian Country. During the process of creating parliamentary groups, Podemos deputies joined the group within other Podemos deputies from all around Spain, while Compromís joined the Mixed Group.
In the 2016 general elections in Spain, Compromís ran again in a coalition with Podemos, called A la valenciana ("The Valencian Way"), this time the coalition included as well United Left of the Valencian Country, the Valencian branch of United Left.
In the 2019 European Parliament election in Spain, it run as Commitment for Europe in coalition with Coalición Caballas, En Marea, Nueva Canarias, Més per Mallorca, Chunta Aragonesista, Partido Castellano-Tierra Comunera, Coalición por Melilla, Iniciativa del Pueblo Andaluz, Izquierda Andalucista, Verdes de Europa, not obtaining any representative.
In the 2019 Spanish local elections, they got 336 251 local votes and 724 local councillors, the 1.48% of the total amount of Spanish local councillors
It ran in the 2023 Spanish general election as part of the Sumar electoral coalition getting two MPs, Agueda Micó and Alberto Ibáñez.
In the 2024 European Parliament election in Spain ran as part of the Sumar electoral coalition getting one MEP, Vicent Marzà
Electoral performance
[edit]Corts Valencianes
[edit]| Corts Valencianes | |||||||
| Election | Leading candidate | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Government | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Enric Morera | 176,213 | 7.19 (#3) | 6 / 99
|
Opposition | ||
| 2015 | Mónica Oltra | 456,823 | 18.46 (#3) | 19 / 99
|
Coalition | ||
| 2019 | 443,640 | 16.68 (#4) | 17 / 99
|
Coalition | |||
| 2023 | Joan Baldoví | 357,989 | 14.51 (#3) | 15 / 99
|
Opposition | ||
Cortes Generales
[edit]| Cortes Generales | ||||||||
| Election | Congress | Senate | Status in legislature | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vote | % | Score | Seats | +/– | Seats | +/– | ||
| 2011 | 125,306 | 0.5% | 12th | 1 / 350
|
0 / 208
|
Opposition | ||
| 2015 | Within És el moment | 4 / 350
|
1 / 208
|
Snap election | ||||
| 2016 | Within A la valenciana | 4 / 350
|
1 / 208
|
Opposition | ||||
| 2019 (Apr) | 173,821 | 0.7% | 11th | 1 / 350
|
0 / 208
|
Snap election | ||
| 2019 (Nov) | Within Més Compromís | 1 / 350
|
0 / 208
|
Confidence and supply | ||||
| 2023 | Within Sumem per Guanyar | 2 / 350
|
0 / 208
|
Confidence and supply | ||||
| Election | Valencian Community | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Congress | Senate | ||||||
| Vote | % | Score | Seats | +/– | Seats | +/– | |
| 2011 | 125,306 | 4.8% | 5th | 1 / 33
|
0 / 12
|
||
| 2015 | Within És el moment | 4 / 32
|
1 / 12
|
||||
| 2016 | Within A la valenciana | 4 / 33
|
1 / 12
|
||||
| 2019 (Apr) | 173,821 | 6.5% | 6th | 1 / 32
|
0 / 12
|
||
| 2019 (Nov) | Within Més Compromís | 1 / 32
|
0 / 12
|
||||
| 2023 | Within Sumem per Guanyar | 2 / 33
|
0 / 12
|
||||
European Parliament
[edit]| European Parliament | ||||||||
| Election | Total | Valencian Community | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vote | % | Score | Seats | +/– | Vote | % | Score | |
| 2014 | Within PE | 1 / 54
|
139,863 | 8.0% | 6th | |||
| 2019 | Within CpE | 0 / 59
|
193,419 | 8.4% | 5th | |||
| 2024 | Within Sumar | 1 / 61
|
151.015 | 7.7% | 4th | |||
References
[edit]- ^ Compromís supera su censo de primarias y roza los 50.000 inscritos. eldiario.es, 04/03/2019
- ^ "Estatuts del Bloc Nacionalista Valencià" (PDF). pp. 7–8.
- ^ "Estatuts d'Iniciativa del Poble Valencià". 21 June 2018. p. 3.
- ^ "Estatuts de Compromís".
- ^ a b Nordsieck, Wolfram (2019). "Spain". Parties and Elections in Europe. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
- ^ [2][3][4][5]
- ^ Compromís (27 February 2010). "Founding Manifesto of Compromís" (in Catalan).
- ^ "Estatuts del Bloc Nacionalista Valencià" (PDF). pp. 7–8.
- ^ "Compromís, el cuarto nacionalismo". 9 October 2015. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2019.
- ^ "Marzà defiende que Valencia debe sumarse al proceso independentista catalán". 12 August 2015.
- ^ "Las banderas de Compromís". 4 November 2017.
- ^ "Compromís saca la estelada en el Parlamento Europeo". 18 January 2016.
- ^ "Compromís celebra su resultado electoral con banderas independentistas catalanas". 27 May 2015.
- ^ "Nadal (Compromís): "Aunque Ximo Puig no lo quiera, todos los pueblos tienen derecho a la autodeterminación"". 28 October 2019.
- ^ [8][9][10][11][12][13][14]
- ^ Steve Tallantyre (25 June 2014). "Spanish mayor charged with setting town on fire". The Local.
The spokesperson for local green and left-wing party Coalició Compromís (Compromise Coalition), Juan Ponce, called on the mayor to resign in the aftermath of the fire, saying "Sanjuán has endangered the lives of many people, causing an ecological disaster from which it will take decades to recover."
- ^ Landsford, T. (2014) Political Handbook of the World 2014, p. 1343 ISBN 978-1-4833-3328-1
- ^ Ávila López, E. (2016) Modern Spain, p. 85 ISBN 978-1-61069-600-5
External links
[edit]- Official website of Coalició Compromís (in Catalan, Spanish, and English)
Coalició Compromís
View on GrokipediaOrigins and Early Development
Pre-coalition precursors
The precursors to Coalició Compromís emerged from fragmented Valencian regionalist and ecologist movements during Spain's post-Franco decentralization process, which culminated in the 1978 Constitution and the Valencian Statute of Autonomy in 1982. These groups, often marginal in electoral terms due to the 5% threshold for parliamentary representation, responded to the consolidation of Partido Popular (PP) dominance in the Valencian Community from 1995 onward, as well as perceptions of linguistic and cultural suppression under centralist influences from Madrid.[5] A primary nationalist strand originated with Unitat del Poble Valencià (UPV), formed in 1982 as an electoral coalition of left-regionalist parties including the Partit Nacionalista Valencià and Esquerra Unida del País Valencià, emphasizing self-determination within a federal framework rather than separatism. By 1985, UPV had formalized as a single party, but persistent internal rifts—exacerbated by electoral failures—prompted a 1995 coalition with the Partit Valencià Nacionalista, evolving into the Bloc Nacionalista Valencià (BNV or Bloc) as a federation in late 1997 and registered in May 1998 through mergers with UPV remnants, the Partit Valencià Nacionalista, and minor groups like Nacionalistes d'Alcoi. The Bloc prioritized cultural revival, anti-corruption stances amid local PP governance issues, and federalist reforms to counter blaverism—a doctrinaire rejection of broader Catalan linguistic ties.[5][6] Ecologist precursors developed concurrently, with parties like Els Verds – L'Alternativa Ecologista established in 1994 by factions opposing national left alliances, advocating sustainable policies in an era of industrial growth and environmental degradation in the Valencian region. These greens, alongside the Bloc, tested unification in the short-lived 2007 Compromís pel País Valencià coalition with Esquerra Unida del País Valencià (EUPV), which garnered 184,761 votes (4.7%) but dissolved post-election due to disputes over strategy and ideology, highlighting the inefficiencies of ad hoc pacts amid PP scandals and regional discontent.[7][8]Formation in 2010
Coalició Compromís was established in January 2010 as a strategic electoral coalition uniting the Bloc Nacionalista Valencià (a Valencian nationalist party), Iniciativa del Poble Valencià (a splinter from the United Left with socialist leanings), Els Verds (the environmentalist left), and various smaller local groups and independents under the Gent de Compromís umbrella.[2][9] This relaunch built on prior ad hoc alliances from 2007, driven by the need to pool limited resources in Spain's fragmented multi-party system and challenge the entrenched dominance of the Partido Popular in Valencian politics.[2] The foundational agreement, embodied in the 2010 manifesto, centered on a "compromís" pact that prioritized enhanced Valencian self-government within Spain, environmental sustainability, and progressive social reforms, deliberately avoiding advocacy for full independence to maintain broader electoral viability.[9][1] This pact reflected pragmatic motivations: by consolidating dispersed progressive, nationalist, and green votes, the coalition sought to surpass electoral thresholds that had previously marginalized smaller parties in the Valencian Community's proportional representation system.[2] Early formation faced internal tensions over ideological balance, particularly reconciling the Bloc's emphasis on Valencian cultural and political identity with Iniciativa's class-based leftism and Els Verds' ecological priorities, which risked alienating centrist voters if nationalism overshadowed universalist appeals.[9] These debates underscored the coalition's centrist-left positioning as a deliberate compromise, fostering unity for the 2011 contests without dissolving constituent parties into a unitary structure.[2]Historical Trajectory
2011 breakthrough and initial growth
In the 22 May 2011 Valencian regional election, Coalició Compromís secured 176,123 votes, equivalent to 7.07% of the total, earning 6 seats in the Corts Valencianes and establishing itself as a surprise contender by surpassing traditional leftist rivals like Esquerra Unida del País Valencià, which obtained 5 seats with 5.80% of the vote.[10] [11] This debut performance for the newly formed coalition represented a leap from the fragmented vote shares of its precursors in prior cycles, where nationalist and green-leaning groups had collectively hovered below 5% regionally.[11] The coalition's gains stemmed from voter disillusionment with the ruling Partido Popular (PP), which retained an absolute majority of 56 seats despite implementing austerity measures amid Spain's deepening economic recession and facing exposure from the Gürtel corruption probe, a nationwide scandal with deep roots in Valencian PP networks involving bribery and embezzlement.[12] Compromís positioned itself as an alternative through unified leadership—including figures like Mònica Oltra and Enric Morera—effective use of social media for outreach, and a platform stressing transparency and accountability, which resonated with abstention-prone and young voters seeking outlets beyond the entrenched PSOE-PP duopoly.[13] Empirical shifts indicated protest voting rather than broad ideological conversion, with Compromís drawing from non-voters and disaffected leftists amid 22% regional unemployment and fiscal strain from PP-led policies.[12] Simultaneous municipal elections yielded proportional advances for Compromís, including representation in key locales like Valencia city under Joan Ribó's candidacy, where the coalition captured urban districts hit by PP mismanagement of public contracts tied to Gürtel.[11] These results laid groundwork for localized influence on issues like urban planning and anti-corruption audits, though outright control eluded them amid PP's entrenched majorities. Initial post-election momentum focused on parliamentary scrutiny of PP finances, signaling Compromís's pivot toward institutional leverage over protest marginality.[14]Pre-Botànic consolidation (2011-2015)
Following the 2011 Valencian regional elections, in which Coalició Compromís secured six seats in the Corts Valencianes, the coalition positioned itself as the primary opposition to the governing Partido Popular (PP), emphasizing scrutiny of executive mismanagement amid ongoing revelations from the Gürtel corruption network that implicated Valencian PP officials in bribery and embezzlement schemes.[15] Compromís deputies repeatedly demanded parliamentary inquiries and fiscal audits into PP-handled public contracts, including those tied to regional infrastructure projects, arguing that these exposed systemic graft under Francisco Camps' administration until his 2011 resignation and Alberto Fabra's subsequent leadership.[16] This oppositional stance, while yielding limited legislative successes due to PP's majority, amplified Compromís's profile through procedural challenges and public denunciations, fostering a narrative of accountability absent from the fragmented left-wing alternatives. Mónica Oltra, serving as Compromís's parliamentary spokesperson from 2011, emerged as a central figure in these efforts, leveraging plenary sessions to confront PP figures on corruption allegations and policy failures, which garnered her significant media visibility despite repeated expulsions from the chamber—such as in May 2014 for accusatory rhetoric against PP leadership.[17] Her role underscored Compromís's tactic of personalized critique, highlighting specific cases like inflated event expenditures linked to Gürtel probes, though these interventions often prioritized exposure over enacted reforms given the partisan deadlock.[18] In anticipation of the 2015 elections, Compromís undertook internal organizational adjustments, including the adoption of open primaries for candidate selection—the first such process for the Corts list, completed by February 2015—to enhance democratic credentials and appeal beyond its core Valencianist and environmentalist base without diluting ideological commitments. These reforms, coupled with Oltra's consolidation as a public face, correlated with polling gains, reflecting voter disillusionment with PP governance; surveys in late 2014 indicated Compromís polling around 15-18% in key urban areas, signaling niche solidification amid broader anti-PP sentiment rather than ideological expansion.[19] This period marked organizational maturation, prioritizing sustainable growth over radical shifts, as evidenced by sustained membership drives and alliance maintenance within the coalition's constituent parties.Botànic government participation (2015-2023)
Coalició Compromís entered the Botànic coalition as the junior partner to the PSPV-PSOE following the May 24, 2015, Valencian parliamentary elections, providing essential support for the investiture of Ximo Puig as president of the Generalitat Valenciana on June 25, 2015. The investiture succeeded in the first ballot with an absolute majority of 50 votes out of 99 seats in the Corts Valencianes, comprising the PSPV's 34 deputies, Compromís's 17, and 8 favorable votes from Podemos, despite opposition from the PP's 56 seats and Ciudadanos.[20] This minority arrangement necessitated ongoing pacts with Unides Podem for legislative approval, including budgets, amid the Valencian economy's recovery from the 2008 financial crisis, which had left high public debt levels exceeding 20 billion euros by 2015.[21] In the 2015-2019 term, Compromís secured the vice-presidency and the Ministry of Equality and Inclusive Policies for Mónica Oltra, who served as first vice president and government spokesperson until 2022, alongside influence over environmental policies through coalition negotiations.[22] The pact emphasized sustainable development and social spending increases, such as in poverty reduction and inclusive policies, but required Compromís to moderate its Valencian nationalist demands—such as aggressive language promotion or fiscal autonomy pushes—in favor of joint priorities like tax hikes on high incomes to fund welfare expansions, reflecting a pragmatic trade-off for governance stability over ideological maximalism.[23] This dynamic persisted into the 2019-2023 term, renewed after Puig's re-election on June 13, 2019, with Compromís's backing alongside Unides Podem, maintaining Oltra's role and Compromís's oversight of equality portfolios while navigating tensions, such as over solar energy expansions and port growth, where environmental safeguards clashed with PSPV-led economic priorities.[24][25] Throughout both legislatures, the coalition's reliance on external support fostered internal frictions, as Compromís advocated for stricter environmental regulations and social equity measures—evident in the 2017 Botànic agreement renewal prioritizing poverty eradication—yet conceded on deeper nationalist reforms to sustain the progressive spending agenda, which saw public investment rise amid national recovery trends but strained fiscal balances without achieving full debt relief.[26][27] The arrangement highlighted causal trade-offs: enhanced policy leverage in equality and sustainability at the cost of diluted autonomy claims, enabling minority rule but exposing Compromís to critiques of over-compromise from its nationalist base.[28]Post-2023 decline and opposition
In the 28 May 2023 Valencian regional election, Coalició Compromís secured 242,666 votes, equivalent to 15.3% of the valid tally, translating to 15 seats in the 99-member Corts Valencianes—a reduction of four seats from 2019 amid voter shifts toward the right.[29] This outcome contributed to the exclusion of left-leaning parties from government, enabling the Partido Popular (PP), with 40 seats, to form a coalition with Vox (13 seats) under President Carlos Mazón.[30] Compromís' participation in the national Sumar alliance for the concurrent July 2023 general elections yielded one deputy for Joan Baldoví but drew internal critiques for subordinating Valencian-specific appeals to broader progressive platforms, limiting localized gains in a fragmented left.[31] The 2024 European Parliament elections further underscored vulnerabilities, with Compromís contesting under Sumar obtaining 7.63% of votes in the Valencian Community—its strongest regional showing for the platform but a halving from the 2023 regional result, amid Sumar's national tally of 4.7% and three seats overall.[32] Analysts attributed part of the underperformance to perceived identity dilution within larger coalitions, diluting Compromís' Valencian nationalist and environmental branding in a polarized contest favoring PP (34.2% nationally) and PSOE.[33] By 2025, as the primary opposition voice alongside PSPV-PSOE, Compromís under spokesperson Joan Baldoví has prioritized scrutiny of PP-Vox policies, including rejection of the 2025 Valencian budgets for insufficient allocation to DANA flood recovery (which caused over 220 deaths in October 2024) and perceived fiscal concessions favoring high earners, such as inheritance tax reforms.[34][35] Party efforts emphasize parliamentary interventions and public campaigns to rebuild support, amid ongoing debates over strategic autonomy from national left alliances.[36]Ideology and Positions
Valencian nationalism and identity politics
Compromís promotes a pragmatic Valencian nationalism that seeks greater self-government for the Valencian Community within Spain's constitutional framework, emphasizing federalist reforms to redistribute competences and fiscal resources rather than pursuing secessionist agendas. The coalition's constituent parties, including the Valencian Nationalist Bloc, prioritize defending regional identity against perceived centralist encroachments, such as inadequate infrastructure investments and linguistic marginalization, while explicitly distancing themselves from independence movements modeled on Catalonia's.[37][1] Central to this identity politics is the normalization of the Valencian language in education, administration, and media, with Compromís advocating its co-official status and rejecting policies that impose Spanish monolingualism as a form of cultural assimilation. The party maintains that Valencian constitutes the same linguistic system as Catalan, supporting cross-regional recognition of this unity to bolster its vitality, a position codified in attempts to amend legislation for mutual acknowledgment between Valencia and Catalonia.[38][39] This stance fuels ongoing tensions with Blaverism, an anti-pan-Catalan ideology that insists on Valencian's independent linguistic status and accuses Compromís of subordinating local identity to broader Catalanist narratives.[40] Compromís critiques Spain's asymmetric territorial model as perpetuating inequities, pushing for symmetrical federalization that would empower autonomous communities like Valencia with fuller control over taxation and budgeting to counter "Spanish-only" impositions viewed as eroding distinct cultural practices.[1] Unionist critics, including elements within the People's Party, argue that these advocacy efforts inherently foster regional separatism and fragment national cohesion, portraying Compromís's nationalism as a veiled threat to Spanish unity despite its autonomist bounds.[41] Internally, the coalition navigates debates between its nationalist core and more integrationist allies, balancing linguistic unity claims with appeals to Valencian-specific symbols like fallas festivals and paella traditions to maintain broad appeal.[42]Environmental and sustainability agenda
Coalició Compromís advocates for a rapid transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, emphasizing solar photovoltaic and wind power installations as key to achieving sustainability goals in the Valencian Community. The coalition has consistently pushed for policies that prioritize renewables while calling for regulatory frameworks to mitigate environmental damage, such as requiring consensus on site selection for large-scale projects to prevent landscape degradation in rural comarcas.[43] This stance reflects a broader anti-fossil fuel position, though specific opposition to fracking in Valencia remains less prominently documented compared to national left-wing coalitions. Compromís maintains firm opposition to nuclear energy, exemplified by its repeated demands to close the Cofrentes nuclear power plant, arguing that nuclear lacks a viable future amid rising energy prices and technological alternatives. In 2022, coalition representatives dismissed proposals to extend the plant's operations as outdated, asserting its useful life ended in 2023 and that renewables could supplant it without compromising supply security.[44][45] This position aligns with empirical critiques of nuclear's high capital costs and waste management challenges, yet overlooks its role in providing stable, low-carbon baseload power, potentially complicating Valencia's decarbonization if renewables face intermittency issues without adequate storage solutions. Under Compromís mayor Joan Ribó in Valencia (2015–2023), urban sustainability initiatives expanded, including the development of extensive bike lane networks and green zones to reduce vehicle emissions and promote active transport. By 2021, these efforts contributed to a cycling ring integrating existing paths, enhancing connectivity and pedestrian safety while aiming to lower urban pollution.[46] Such measures have empirically boosted cycling usage in a flat, grid-based city, correlating with reduced car dependency, though they faced logistical challenges during implementation, including temporary traffic disruptions. On waste management, Compromís programs target reduction, reuse, and separate collection through incentives like tax discounts for households, aiming to foster a circular economy and minimize landfill reliance. These policies, pursued during Botànic government participation, achieved incremental progress in recycling rates, but implementation audits highlight limited overall advancement in renewable energy integration and waste diversion, underscoring trade-offs where regulatory stringency may constrain industrial flexibility during economic recovery phases post-2010s crisis.[47][48] While yielding environmental gains, such as lowered per-capita waste, critics from business sectors argue overregulation risks stifling growth in energy-intensive industries, though Compromís counters that long-term benefits outweigh short-term costs via innovation incentives.Social and economic policies
Coalició Compromís has advocated for expansive social policies emphasizing equality and inclusion, particularly through the leadership of Mónica Oltra, who served as vice president and head of the Equality and Inclusive Policies department from 2015 to 2022. Under her tenure in the Botànic coalition government, initiatives included the promotion of gender equality protocols in public administration and anti-discrimination measures targeting LGTBI rights and migrant integration, framed as essential for addressing structural inequalities. These efforts contributed to legislative advancements such as the Valencian Law for Equality between Women and Men, which mandated gender parity in decision-making bodies and workplace policies.[49][17] On economic matters, the coalition has prioritized progressive taxation and the reinforcement of public services over market liberalization. Compromís has repeatedly called for higher taxes on high-income earners and wealth to fund social spending, as evidenced by proposals in 2022 to reform fiscal policy accordingly, while insisting that public procurement contracts favor companies offering higher wages and better labor conditions. The party opposes privatization of key sectors like health and education, advocating instead for increased public investment in universal services to mitigate inequality, a stance aligned with its participation in governments that expanded welfare provisions amid regional fiscal constraints.[50][51] These policies, however, operate in a context of fiscal realism challenges, as the Valencian Community entered the Botànic era with elevated public debt exceeding 40 billion euros in 2015, rising to over 55 billion by 2023—a 38% increase—partly driven by sustained welfare expansions during economic recovery. Unemployment rates, peaking above 22% in 2015 for the working-age population, declined to around 12.7% by late 2023, but remained persistently higher than the national average, with critics from right-leaning perspectives attributing this to over-reliance on public sector jobs and subsidies that may foster dependency rather than incentivize private sector growth. While at-risk-of-poverty rates improved modestly to 22.3% in 2022 from prior highs, reflecting some poverty alleviation through income supports, empirical data underscores limited structural gains in employment amid high debt servicing costs that constrain long-term fiscal maneuverability.[52][53][54]Organizational Framework
Constituent parties and alliances
Coalició Compromís comprises three primary constituent parties that form its foundational structure: the Bloc Nacionalista Valencià (Bloc), which serves as the nationalist core emphasizing Valencian identity and self-determination; Iniciativa del Poble Valencià (Iniciativa-PV), a social democratic organization focused on progressive social policies and participatory democracy; and Els VerdsEquo, an ecologist party prioritizing environmental protection and sustainable development.[1] These parties coalesced in 2010, formalizing a stable alliance that evolved from earlier, less enduring collaborations dating back to 2007, with the agreement enabling synergies between Valencian nationalism, green agendas, and left-leaning social reforms to attract a broader electorate without diluting core principles.[2][55] The coalition's durability stems from ideological overlaps, particularly in advocating for regional autonomy, anti-corruption measures, and opposition to centralized Spanish policies, which have outweighed divergences such as the Bloc's emphasis on cultural specificity versus Iniciativa-PV's alignment with wider European social democracy.[9] Internal dynamics include formalized power-sharing arrangements, such as proportional allocation of executive roles within the coalition's coordinating bodies and consensus-based decision-making protocols, designed to prevent dominance by the largest faction—the Bloc, which historically holds the plurality of influence—and to foster equilibrium among the parties.[56][9] Minor expansions for tactical appeal have occurred, but the triad has remained intact, with occasional cooperative ties to external groups like Podem (the Valencian branch of Podemos) limited to ad hoc electoral pacts rather than full integration, preserving the coalition's internal cohesion.[57][58] This structure has sustained Compromís through periods of growth and challenge, as evidenced by its consistent participation in regional governance from 2015 onward.[2]Leadership and internal governance
Mónica Oltra emerged as a central figure in Coalició Compromís upon its relaunch in 2010, serving as spokesperson until her resignation in June 2022, during which she coordinated the coalition's institutional presence and public messaging.[59] Joan Baldoví acted as the coalition's primary representative in the Spanish Congress of Deputies from 2011 to 2023, handling national-level advocacy and maintaining visibility beyond the Valencian Community.[60] Enric Morera, as secretary-general of Més-Compromís and former coportavoz, presided over the Corts Valencianes from June 2015 to May 2019, overseeing parliamentary operations and fostering internal alignment among coalition members.[61] Compromís's governance relies on consensus mechanisms embedded in its coalition framework, including open primaries to select candidates—as demonstrated in processes validating leadership transitions in 2013 and 2019—and periodic assemblies to ratify strategic decisions, ensuring representation from constituent parties like the Valencian Nationalist Bloc, Iniciativa, and the Greens.[62][63] This structure promotes shared authority but requires ongoing negotiation to reconcile differing priorities. Oltra's exit precipitated a pivot to collective leadership, with no singular spokesperson replacing her, as evidenced by distributed roles among figures like Baldoví and Morera amid 2023 candidate selections.[64][65] Such turnover has strained coherence, particularly in equilibrating the nationalist emphases of Més-Compromís against the ecological and social-democratic orientations of green and initiative factions, leading to documented internal power struggles that diluted unified decision-making.[66][9] Data from subsequent organizational dynamics indicate this fragmentation hampered the coalition's adaptive capacity, with factional tensions manifesting in delayed consensus on key nominations.[67]Electoral Performance
Corts Valencianes elections
In the 2011 Valencian regional election held on 22 May, Coalició Compromís secured 176,123 votes, equivalent to 7.07% of the total, translating to 6 seats in the Corts Valencianes.[10] This debut performance reflected the coalition's nascent organization following its relaunch in 2010, amid a political landscape dominated by the People's Party (PP) despite emerging corruption allegations.[2] Compromís experienced significant growth in the 2015 election on 24 May, obtaining 456,823 votes or 18.36% of the share, yielding 17 seats.[68] This surge aligned with voter backlash against PP governance, exacerbated by high-profile corruption probes such as the Gürtel case, which implicated Valencian PP leaders and contributed to the end of their absolute majority.[3] The result positioned Compromís as a key player in the subsequent Botànic coalition with the PSOE. The 2019 election on 28 April saw Compromís maintain near-parity with 443,640 votes (16.44%), retaining 17 seats.[69] Support held steady despite economic recovery signals post-2008 crisis, buoyed by continued PP vulnerabilities but tempered by emerging fatigue with the Botànic administration's policy implementation. In the 2023 election on 28 May, Compromís polled 362,870 votes (14.85%), dropping to 15 seats as PP reclaimed a majority.[70] This decline coincided with eight years of coalition governance, where administrative challenges and internal controversies eroded progressive voter enthusiasm, alongside PP's effective mobilization on economic management themes.[71]| Election Year | Votes | Vote Share (%) | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 176,123 | 7.07 | 6 |
| 2015 | 456,823 | 18.36 | 17 |
| 2019 | 443,640 | 16.44 | 17 |
| 2023 | 362,870 | 14.85 | 15 |
Cortes Generales representation
Coalició Compromís has maintained a modest presence in the Congress of Deputies, the lower house of the Cortes Generales, primarily through alliances with left-wing platforms, securing one seat in most legislative periods from 2011 to 2019 and two seats in the 2023 election. Joan Baldoví served as the party's sole deputy from the 2011 general election onward, representing Valencia province and advocating for regional issues such as agricultural support and infrastructure funding until he stepped down ahead of the 2023 vote to pursue the presidency of the Valencian Government.[74][75] In the July 2023 general election, Compromís integrated its candidates into Yolanda Díaz's Sumar platform, contesting seats in Valencia and Alicante provinces, where it garnered sufficient votes—approximately 126,000 in Valencia alone—to elect two deputies: Àgueda Micó (from Més-Compromís) and Alberto Ibáñez (from Iniciativa, a constituent party).[76][77] This marked a slight increase from prior cycles, reflecting Compromís's vote share of around 5-7% in Valencian constituencies but translating to negligible national influence, with its total votes comprising less than 1% of the nationwide tally.[78] Compromís deputies have prioritized regional advocacy in Madrid, emphasizing demands for equitable fiscal transfers to the Valencian Community, which receives below-average per capita funding from central government coffers—€284 less than the national average in recent budgets—and pushing amendments on water management and anti-corruption measures tailored to Valencian concerns.[79] Their limited numbers have confined impact to niche interventions, often aligning with broader left coalitions but without sway over national policy agendas. By June 2025, internal tensions prompted Més-Compromís to vote overwhelmingly (92.68%) to withdraw from Sumar's parliamentary group, with Àgueda Micó transferring to the Mixed Group, further isolating the party's representation and highlighting alliance strains.[76][80] Alberto Ibáñez initially remained, though subsequent divisions suggested potential further fragmentation.[81]European Parliament results
Coalició Compromís has maintained sparse representation in the European Parliament, relying on coalitions with national left-wing platforms rather than independent candidacies, resulting in minimal direct seats and primarily symbolic influence. In the 2019 elections, the party participated in the Compromiso por Europa coalition alongside entities like the Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG), which garnered 228,826 votes nationally (1.3 percent of the total), sufficient for one seat under Spain's d'Hondt allocation system; however, that seat was awarded to the BNG, leaving Compromís without a delegate. This outcome underscored the coalition's limited national reach, with Compromís's contributions confined to Valencian votes that failed to translate into dedicated representation. The 2024 elections marked a modest breakthrough, as Compromís integrated into the Sumar platform led by Yolanda Díaz, securing the third position on the list for Vicent Marzà, former Valencian education counselor, following internal primaries. Sumar obtained 811,545 votes nationwide (4.65 percent), electing three members of the European Parliament (MEPs), with Marzà assuming the role due to the coalition's performance. Compromís's regional mobilization proved decisive, delivering approximately 150,000 votes and 7.63 percent support in the Valencian Community—Sumar's strongest regional showing—effectively "earning" the seat through concentrated backing in its heartland.[82][33][83] Seated in the Greens/European Free Alliance group, Marzà has prioritized advocacy for EU green transition funds, such as those under the NextGenerationEU recovery instrument, and policies enhancing regional cohesion for peripheral territories like the Valencian Country, emphasizing sustainable development and opposition to infrastructure projects conflicting with environmental goals.[84] Despite this foothold, Compromís's impact remains circumscribed, as its vote base equates to under 0.5 percent nationally when isolated from coalition totals, yielding advocacy focused on niche regional and ecological priorities rather than broad legislative sway.[82]Local and municipal outcomes
In the 2015 municipal elections, Coalició Compromís achieved 23.3% of the vote in Valencia, securing 9 council seats and enabling Joan Ribó to become mayor through a coalition with the PSPV-PSOE, ending 24 years of PP rule.[85][86] Ribó retained the mayoralty in 2019 with a similar vote share of approximately 25%, again via progressive alliances, focusing on urban sustainability and cultural policies. However, in the 2023 elections, Compromís's support in Valencia fell to 16.5%, yielding 9 seats but losing the mayoralty to the PP after the breakdown of the Botànic coalition at the regional level eroded progressive voter cohesion.[87][88] Beyond Valencia, Compromís has governed or co-governed in smaller urban and suburban municipalities like Burjassot, where it maintained influence through local alliances emphasizing environmental and Valencianist agendas, and Gandia, retaining left-leaning control post-2023 despite regional shifts.[89] In 2019, the coalition installed over 70 mayors across Valencian municipalities, often in progressive-leaning suburbs with populations under 50,000, leveraging gains from anti-austerity sentiments.[90] By 2023, this number declined amid PP-Vox advances, with Compromís retaining footholds primarily in peri-urban areas but facing setbacks in rural inland zones like parts of Alicante province, where nationalist appeals resonated less against entrenched conservative majorities.[91] Overall, Compromís has averaged 10-15% of the municipal vote share across the Comunitat Valenciana since its 2011 formation, with peaks in urban strongholds driven by green and regionalist platforms but consistent underperformance in rural districts favoring traditional parties.[73] Post-2015 trends showed suburban gains tied to coalition governance, yet 2023 losses—linked to fatigue with the Botànic experiment and rising right-wing mobilization—highlighted vulnerabilities outside core urban bases, reducing its direct mayoral control to fewer than 50 municipalities.[92][93]| Election Year | Valencia Vote Share (%) | Seats Won | Mayoral Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 23.3 | 9 | Ribó (Compromís) elected via pact[85] |
| 2019 | ~25 | 9-10 | Ribó reelected via pact[94] |
| 2023 | 16.5 | 9 | Lost to PP[88] |
Policy Implementation and Impacts
Roles in executive positions
Coalició Compromís participated in the executive branch of the Generalitat Valenciana through the Botànic coalition agreements with the PSPV-PSOE following the 2015 and 2019 Corts Valencianes elections, securing positions that aligned with its priorities in social equity, education, culture, and environmental protection. As the junior partner—providing essential votes for investiture but holding fewer portfolios than PSPV—the coalition's bargaining power derived from its 17 seats in 2015 (enabling a minority government) and 15 in 2019 (facilitating a tripartite with Unidas Podemos), which compelled PSPV to concede the vice-presidency and targeted ministries rather than core economic levers like finance or industry. This arrangement limited Compromís to oversight of approximately 25-30% of the Consell's portfolios across terms, with rotations occurring amid internal shifts and scandals, such as Oltra's 2022 resignation.[95] Key roles included the vice-presidency, consistently held by Compromís to amplify influence on cross-cutting issues. Mónica Oltra served as Second Vice President and Minister of Equality and Inclusive Policies from June 2015 to July 2022, managing social inclusion programs with a budget exceeding €1 billion annually by 2020.[96] Following her departure amid legal proceedings, Gabriela Bravo assumed interim coordination duties before focusing on justice. Compromís also controlled education and culture via Vicent Marzà, who as Minister of Education, Research, Culture, and Sport from June 2015 to May 2022 directed a portfolio handling over €4.5 billion in 2021 expenditures on schooling and heritage preservation.[97] Environmental and rural affairs fell under Mireia Mollà as Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, Environmental Crisis, and Ecological Transition from June 2019 to October 2022, overseeing €1.2 billion in 2022 funds for sustainability initiatives impacting tourism-dependent sectors like coastal management.[98] Gabriela Bravo held Justice and Public Administration from 2019 to 2023, influencing institutional reforms with a €300 million budget. These assignments, renewed in the 2019 Botànic pact, underscored Compromís' leverage in prioritizing progressive portfolios but highlighted constraints, as PSPV retained veto power over budgets and major infrastructure, often diluting Compromís initiatives through negotiation. Post-2023 elections, Compromís exited government, ending its executive tenure.[99]| Period | Portfolio | Holder | Budget Oversight (approx., recent years) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–2022 | Vice Presidency & Equality | Mónica Oltra | €1+ billion (social policies)[96] |
| 2015–2022 | Education, Research, Culture & Sport | Vicent Marzà | €4.5+ billion (education dominant)[97] |
| 2019–2022 | Agriculture, Rural Dev., Environment & Transition | Mireia Mollà | €1.2 billion (rural/tourism sustainability)[98] |
| 2019–2023 | Justice & Public Admin. | Gabriela Bravo | €300 million (institutional) |