A lot of people think Paterna is the “jewel in the crown” of the Metropolitan Area of Valencia. Would you agree? I don’t know if we can call it that. What we need to do now is to prevent the area from succumbing to ever-rising unemployment figures.
But doesn’t it also have infrastructures, services and competitive advantages? Having the largest industrial area in Spain, with more than 5m square metres of industrial land and over 2,000 businesses located in Paterna, means we can maintain levels of activity to help us to better cope with the crisis.
Two thousand companies should contribute a substantial sum to the city’s coffers? They do, but it is also true that we have met historical demands from the industrial areas, which had not initially seen any municipal investment made. Logically, these areas wanted to see improvements to increase their competitiveness so that they can deal with the crisis and continue to benefit from their location, their services and environmental quality.
Does Paterna have all the services it needs? No, unfortunately. It has grown significantly over the past ten years, but without a corresponding increase in services. Over 10,000 new inhabitants arrived in Paterna between 2003 and 2007. One of the main tasks of the government team has been to ensure that per capita standards are those of a city with quality services. We have made many improvements but we still have much to do. We have made progress as regards to education and health, where the greatest shortfalls were.
Does developing beside a large city have more advantages or drawbacks? It has the undeniable advantage of location, of being able to take advantage of the proximity of a major city such as Valencia and of being an option for establishments such as service, industrial, productive and leisure. On the other hand, competing with a nearby city means that many of the things we do every day, we want to do them in the capital, whether it be shopping or going to see a show. For the residents of Paterna to live, to enjoy and shop in Paterna, we must have quality businesses, quality culture and leisure options.
Is it more difficult to govern when dealing with major social imbalances? Government action must come down to the people. We need to design a political and administrative structure that is capable of meeting the demands of all citizens, with a Mayor’s Office that is always ready to listen, that attempts to tackle all their problems, which differ according to area and personal situation. We found challenging problems in both La Cañada and La Coma.
Do you feel like the Mayor of a large town or of a small city? I like to say that I live in a town, although it is bigger than some provincial capitals. In many respects it has the structure of a city, but you always meet people as life is very much lived on the streets here. Our goal has been to give visibility to all neighbourhoods, to encourage the relationships between citizens in the street It is good that local businesses can co-exist perfectly with larger retail outlets.
With mayors like you, is the “red belt” a thing of the past? I’m not one for colours, but I was the first Partido Popular (Popular Party) Mayor in this town to be elected by an absolute majority. I think what motivated the citizens of Paterna was the desire for an alternative, and it wasn’t just an ideological shift but also a generational one, with a young team eager to bring about change, to have a dynamic city, with a better quality of life.
Will there be an IKEA in Paterna? It all depends on the economic situation. They are no longer concerned about whether they are located in Paterna, or other places where there have been frustrated attempts to set up business, but whether Spain is profitable for IKEA at the moment. I made the conditions clear, because if a politician wants to establish confidence in an investor they have to be firm in their decisions and say this is how it is. The conditions are clear for both parties. IKEA could do very well in Paterna.
Is your spell in the Council a springboard for higher-level duties? I never thought I would be Mayor of Paterna. I undertook a project with a number of people and invested in it all my hopes and enthusiasm. I’ll go into the next elections with the same enthusiasm, since it is difficult to carry out a political project for change in a city in just four years. It would be good if all politicians did a spell at municipal level, as it teaches you about political action and you have more contact with citizens.