The delegate of Finance of the City Council of Seville, Juan Bueno, has defended the current municipal management of the Real Alcázar against the criticisms made by the Socialist Group, highlighting its good performance and reproaching the PSOE for its «lack of rigor and memory.» «It is surprising, not to say irresponsible and unethical, that Mrs. Sonia Gaya, who was directly responsible for the Alcázar for eight years, talks about budgets and investments, when under her mandate the budget was twelve million, compared to the 17 million euros that this government is executing.»
The delegate of Finance of the City Council of Seville, Juan Bueno, has stated in response to the statements made by the Socialist Group regarding the municipal management of the Real Alcázar, the current good management of the monument, while reproaching the PSOE for its «lack of rigor and memory.» «It is surprising, not to say irresponsible and unethical, that Mrs. Sonia Gaya, who was directly responsible for the Alcázar for eight years, talks about budgets and investments, when under her mandate the budget was twelve million, compared to the 17 million euros that this government is executing.»
«Mrs. Gaya worked without a serious plan and even worse with ignorance, leaving the monument in a worrying state of abandonment,» he emphasized, while criticizing that «talking now about a lack of commitment to heritage is simply a lack of responsibility and a fallacy.»
Likewise, the delegate of Finance wanted to clarify the situation regarding the alleged municipal «inaction» in seeking state support and pointed out that «this municipal government requested in October 2023 the inclusion of the rehabilitation project of the Puerta del Apeadero within the 2% cultural program of the Government of Spain, a state funding avenue for the conservation of historical heritage.»
In this context, he stressed that «to date, we have not received any response, which demonstrates the absolute disregard of the central Government for Seville and one of its main historical symbols. It is unacceptable that, while we rigorously demand institutional support to preserve heritage, the central Executive looks the other way,» he added.
In addition, the Finance councilor recalled that, for the past year, negotiations have been ongoing with the Ministry of Finance «for the change of ownership of the houses in the Patio de Banderas, especially house number ten, due to its state of abandonment and the problems it generates for the monument itself, an essential and fundamental action for its preservation.»
«Part of the revenues from the Alcázar will be allocated to the acquisition and rehabilitation of said property,» he assured, while recalling that «we are still awaiting a response from the First Vice President of the Government and Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero.» «Therefore, Mrs. Gaya should not come to tarnish an impeccable management of the direction of the Real Alcázar with false or distorted statements, and at the same time, we could ask her why she did not take care of this disastrous situation in the conservation of the monument,» he demanded.
Similarly, Bueno recalled the budgetary restrictions imposed by the central Government in this 2025 budget, which directly affect the capacities of the City Councils and emphasized that «we do comply with the rules of the game.» In this sense, he reproached that they continue to follow these guidelines «adapting to the spending rule imposed by Mrs. Montero, Minister of the PSOE, and party colleague of Mrs. Gaya. She, who is perfectly aware of these limitations, should have the honesty to acknowledge that these conditions directly affect the investment capacity of this City Council.»
Regarding the budget of the Alcázar, Bueno stated that «there is no cut in commitment to the Alcázar,» ensuring that «there is a responsible and adapted planning to the real situation, prioritizing sustainable and necessary actions over empty promises and sensationalism, we manage with seriousness, preserving and protecting the main monument of this city.»
Finally, the Finance delegate lamented the tone of the «opposition» and criticized that «the PSOE does not provide solutions, only noise. While they launch baseless political attacks, this municipal government works with rigor and commitment so that the Real Alcázar continues to be a source of pride for Seville and an international reference for heritage conservation,» he concluded.
