Mazón diverts attention from the Night of the Economy with his reproach to Cuerpo, Bernabé and Navarro

The speech by the President of the Generalitat (Catalan Government), Carlos Mazón, which concluded the Valencian Economic Night, held this Wednesday in Valencia, was not merely ceremonial. Upon stepping onto the imposing stage installed in the new Roig Arena and in front of a thousand business leaders, the PP president began with the usual greetings, but introduced an ironic rebuke that diverted attention from the awards ceremony and dominated the aftermath: "I'm not greeting the minister, the government representative, and the president of the employers' association because they left together, of course I should."

He was referring to the Socialists Carlos Cuerpo (Minister of Economy) and Pilar Bernabé, and the president of the Business Confederation of the Valencian Community (CEV), Salvador Navarro. The three had informed the organizers, Cámara Valencia, in advance that they had to leave before the end of the event for various scheduling reasons, but Mazón wanted to emphasize their departure together (although Navarro left a little later). His unexpected comment drew some applause and laughter from those present, and the timing did not go unnoticed: one week after the current leader of the CEV announced the call for early elections at the employers' association, as well as his intention to run again.

Mazón and Navarro don't have a particularly close personal relationship. The vice president of the CEOE often gives his opinion on current affairs and was, for example, critical of the handling of the disaster when it occurred. The president makes no secret of his closeness and friendship with Carlos Baño, president of the Alicante Chamber of Commerce (an entity from which the head of the Consell is on leave), who has himself distanced himself from Navarro. Last night, among some business leaders gathered, it was assumed that an alternative candidate to Navarro would be presented, and it was suggested that it could be led by Vicente Lafuente, head of the metal industry association (Femeval).

In this context, Mazón took aim at the absentees, who also surprised everyone when, praising the virtues of private initiative and the Roig Arena pavilion, promoted by Juan Roig, president of Mercadona, he stated that he had not "had the opportunity" to visit it before.

The most emotional moment of the ceremony, however, had nothing to do with political and business movements, but with a victim of the floods that caused 228 deaths in the province of Valencia. Everyone paid tribute to Miguel Burdeos, founder of SPB, a supplier to Mercadona, who died at the age of 74. His widow, Amparo Andrés (accompanied by her children), received the award posthumously for her business career to great applause. "Not all of us are here tonight; we are missing entrepreneurs who are very dear to us all," said Morata, president of the Valencia Chamber of Commerce.

The award winners also included Agricultores de la Vega-SAV, which received the award for innovation; Transportes A. Martín SLU, which was recognized for business excellence; Aeol Service, which received the Digital Economy award; Logopost, for its business sustainability; and Juan Motilla SL, which received an award for the company's internationalization. The Chinese company CSP Logitren received an award for its collaboration between China and Valencia.

In his general address, Morata warned that "polarization is no longer temporary" but rather "has become structural, hindering basic consensus." Therefore, he emphasized that Spain "needs to recover the idea of ​​a common project" and urged institutions to "respond with a vision of state" that "must translate into regulatory stability, legal certainty, and public policies that look beyond a single legislative term."

The Minister of Economy, Trade and Business, Carlos Cuerpo, emphasized that thanks to "the resilience and efforts of entrepreneurs, together with economic policy decisions, we have emerged unscathed from recent shocks— from the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and now the tariffs—and have also enabled "a structural change in our economy, led by a robust, dynamic labor market and an improvement in our productivity."

President Carlos Mazón praised the potential of the Valencian economic fabric and reiterated the Generalitat's commitment to businesses. He highlighted the strength of the Valencian economy and noted that in 2024, the Valencian Community ranked third among the autonomous regions in terms of foreign investment, with €1.105 billion, and in just two years has attracted business projects worth €10 billion, which will create around 40,000 high-quality jobs.

The Mayor of Valencia, María José Catalá, emphasized that Valencia is a “reliable, trustworthy, and attractive city that wants to be home to talent” and praised the business community for its “commitment to excellence in innovation, technology, and commitment” and because “in the toughest moment this land has suffered,” during the Dana, “they didn't hesitate to get down to business and lend a hand from the very beginning.”