Rafa Carrió (Dénia, 1957), from Compromís, is weeks away from becoming the city's mayor for the final year of the term, according to the government pact signed with Vicent Grimalt's PSPV. In an interview conducted at Dénia Castle, Carrió expresses his vision on the transition, the current government's legacy, and his objectives for the coming year.

Regarding the transition, Carrió states that although there are days with "butterflies," his experience allows him to have "almost everything thought out and planned," and he would even wish it were "tomorrow" to start working. He believes the main change will be in the approach, seeking to integrate most people through dialogue to achieve majorities that unite the city and better prepare it for future challenges.

Carrió wants his year as mayor to highlight Compromís's importance in the city's transformation since 2015. He hopes citizens will notice "closeness," "friendliness," and "humility," and that he will not change personally. He emphasizes the continuity of projects initiated in 2015, such as a "friendly, cultured, sporty, healthy" city model, but stresses the importance of "harmony with the people" and participation in decision-making.

Regarding the government pact with the PSPV, he acknowledges it has worked in terms of project continuity, despite "errors" and less direct communication that may have harmed the agreement. "Our agreement did not stipulate that we had to support the PSPV unconditionally on everything," he notes, recalling they have had to "swallow many frogs" to maintain a progressive government. He considers Compromís to have been "key" to governing, as without their support, the PSPV would not have governed or would have done so "differently."

Carrió claims to feel "totally free" to make decisions, even "drastic changes," as long as they are for the city's future. Regarding the possibility of changing departments, he indicates that "things that work should not be touched," but if something doesn't work, "it must be changed." He believes the PSPV "is not in a position to threaten us" and that they should "take care of us, pamper us, and love us."

Looking ahead, if the electoral results of three years ago were repeated, Carrió indicates that Compromís will always opt to govern if things can be done, even though the PSPV left them "stranded" in 2019. As non-negotiable objectives for his year as mayor, he mentions making the Espai Polivalent a reality, resuming the residence project, and securing funding for the new pavilion. He also advocates for creating a public park of regulated rental housing, possibly with Sareb, and for pedestrianizing more areas, such as the Saladar promenade.

Regarding infrastructure, Carrió regrets that Dénia is "mistreated" by the Generalitat, with stalled projects like the conservatory, the CRIS, the CEM, the second health center, and the residence. He also calls for greater regional collaboration to advocate for issues like the train or the hospital.

In linguistic matters, he considers that Valencian is not sufficiently protected in Dénia and that the Statute of Autonomy and the Law of Symbols are being violated. "We want to be the capital of Valencian," he states, criticizing the lack of support from right-wing and far-right governments for the language and the Valencian Language Academy.

Finally, Carrió points out the need for an auditorium or a large space like the "Compromís Arena" for major cultural events, and to connect existing cultural infrastructures to create a "cultural pack" for the city, including museums and archaeological sites like Alt de Benimaquia.