La división territorial valenciana: antecedentes, problemas y política de la Generalitat

Valencian Territorial Division: Background, Problems, and Valencian Government’s Policy The Land of Valencia’s official territorial division consists of two levels, including 3 provinces and 542 municipalities respectively. Such division is deep-seated in Valencian society. However, some politicians and employers advocate for abolishing the provincial councils, thus avoiding duplication of tasks and reducing government. Some intellectuals who defend the common Valencian identity have denounced the shortcomings of the territorial division into three provinces, claiming that the fact that one of these (that of Valencia) bears the same name as the whole Valencian territory weakens Valencian identity, especially among the people from the other two provinces, and hinders the territorial cohesion of the land of Valencia. In this article we will discuss the historical background of the territorial division of Valencia, since the foundation of its Kingdom in the 13th century until the establishment of the current provincial division (in the first half of the 19th century). We will also present the main proposals of division of Valencia into comarca units (bigger than municipalities, but smaller than provinces), with their respective pros and cons. Finally we will discuss the policy that the Valencian government has carried out in this field. 30 years after the passing of an Estatut (i.e., the Valencian autonomous constitution) which provides for the division of Valencia into comarca units, the current Valencian Government does not appear to have the slightest interest in implementing such a division, and the reform or abolition of province councils does not seem to be among its priorities either.