The Junta Electoral Provincial by Valencia ordered the removal on 9 November 2026 of official social media posts about the presentation of a future system of flood parks in the IVAM and at the same time opened sanction proceedings against the third vice-president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Vicente Martínez Mus. The case concerns an event staged on 27 October 2026 at the Institut Valencià d'Art Modern, where the “Sistema de Parques Inundables Metropolitanos de València” project was presented.
According to the decision, which followed a complaint by the PSPV , the administration’s posts amounted to a “campaña de logros encubierta”. This violated the duty of neutrality in force during the election period. The election watchdog bases its decision on Article 50 of the Ley Orgánica del Régimen Electoral General (LOREG) and on relevant provisions of the Junta Electoral Central. Public bodies may not fund or disseminate measures promoting themselves once the election period has begun.
The order applies to the Generalitat Valenciana’s official channels and the corresponding accounts of the responsible Conselleria. The authority specified that all content about the presentation in question published since 27 October 2026 must be removed. In its response, Vicente Martínez Mus’s department had cited an overriding public interest and the continuation of routine administrative work. However, the election watchdog found no urgency that would justify an exception to the duty of neutrality, and rejected the objections.
An appeal may be lodged against the decision within the statutory time limit. The Junta Electoral Central would have the final say on any appeal. Politically, the Socialists described the decision as evidence of the partisan use of public resources. Regional government representatives defended the posts as part of normal information work.
The case comes amid a period of tighter scrutiny of institutional communications in the Comunidad Valenciana. Other municipal and regional bodies have also recently been required by the election watchdog to exercise restraint. Whether fines or further sanctions will be imposed on Vicente Martínez Mus depends on the final assessment by the Junta Electoral Central. Possible consequences include changes to the Generalitat Valenciana’s communications practices in the weeks before the elections and a precedent for similar proceedings in other public authorities.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).