Valencia’s councillor for Patrimonio, Juanma Badenas (Vox), entered the Sindicat d’Estudiants’ municipal premises without prior notice. The student group calls it illegal entry and plans legal action. The mayor has requested a legal review.
Valencia’s city government is at the center of a legal and political dispute after Juanma Badenas, the councillor for Patrimonio from Vox, entered the headquarters of the Sindicat d’Estudiants del País Valencià without prior notification or permission. The incident, which took place last Friday, has triggered accusations of illegal entry from the student organization and prompted the city’s mayor to seek a legal opinion on the matter.
Badenas defended his actions on social media, stating that the premises are municipal property and that, according to reports he requested from the Local Police, the office was found closed after several visits. He explained that he was accompanied by two public employees during the entry, though the Sindicat claims these were his personal advisors. Badenas argued that his visit was part of his official duties to inspect municipal assets and ensure their proper use, noting that he has visited more than 15 such locations in recent months and aims to inspect several each week.
The Sindicat d’Estudiants, which occupies the premises through a municipal concession, strongly disputes the councillor’s justification. Representatives insist that any inspection must follow an administrative procedure, including prior notification and the presence of both the tenant and municipal technicians. They allege that none of these requirements were met and have announced plans to file a legal complaint against Badenas, describing the entry as an “illegal trespass” and a form of political persecution, given the group’s left-wing, assembly-based, and anti-capitalist orientation.
Mayor María José Catalá has responded by requesting a legal report to clarify whether Badenas’s actions constitute an unlawful entry, as claimed by the student group. The controversy comes at a time of heightened political sensitivity in Valencia, where the Sindicat d’Estudiants recently played a prominent role in supporting a nearly month-long strike in the region’s public education sector.
Badenas maintains that all his inspections of municipal properties have been conducted with city employees and using keys held by the Patrimonio department, which is responsible for the custody of such assets. He also claims that various entities and even other city council departments have requested access to municipal spaces, prompting his ongoing review of their use and condition.
The student union, however, reiterates that the established protocol for inspections was ignored, emphasizing that administrative notification and the presence of both the tenant and city officials are mandatory. The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between local authorities and civic organizations over the management and oversight of public assets in Valencia.
For context, disputes over the use of municipal property and the procedures for official inspections are not uncommon in Spain, especially when political or ideological differences are involved. The legal framework typically requires clear administrative steps and respect for the rights of current occupants. This case also echoes broader debates about the boundaries of official authority and the protection of civic spaces, as seen in other recent incidents across the country. In a related development, the city’s approach to oversight and enforcement has come under scrutiny, similar to recent changes in Social Security procedures, where immediate suspension of benefits for non-compliance has been introduced, as detailed in this recent report on new Social Security rules.