Empire Rising: Spain

For instance, if there is a significant issue with a city government, the Spanish Cabinet Government does not directly hold that city government accountable, but rather holds the regional government responsible.

If regional governments do not wish to bear responsibility for their subordinate city governments, they must impose stricter supervision over them.

In this way, the Cabinet Government can extend its influence to the most grassroots town and village departments without expending too much effort.

In addition, the parliaments of various regions and cities also play a supervisory and regulatory role.

The parliament has direct relationships as well. The Lower House of Spain leads the parliaments of the regions, and the regional parliaments, in turn, lead the parliaments of the cities.

This ensures that no level of government encounters issues, with each level having corresponding supervisory bodies to ensure that the power center of the Cabinet Government and the Lower House can swiftly exercise their authority.

To express his concern for the people, following the government’s issuance of relief measures, Carlo took some guards and officials by train to the northern mountains of Madrid to personally observe the farmers’ plight.

It was previously mentioned that Madrid is located in a valley between two mountains in the north and south, offering a relatively flat and open area.

Although situated in the central inland area of the Iberian Peninsula, as the capital of Spain, Madrid’s municipal government is equipped with the most extensive water facilities among all regions in Spain.

This has resulted in Madrid, as an inland area of Spain, not being severely affected by the drought.

Conversely, the mountainous areas north of Madrid, beyond the mountains, suffer from severe drought due to insufficient water facilities.

Carlo’s inspection destination is the northern part of the Madrid Region, the Castilla y León Region, whose capital city is Valladolid, a small city with a population of less than 100,000.

Why did Carlo choose this small city as the site for his inspection? The reason is simple: it is at the center of the drought, with Valladolid and the southern mountainous areas being some of the driest places, having not seen rainfall for several months.

Carlo’s personal visit garnered high attention from the Valladolid city government, and even the regional government officials had long awaited his arrival.

However, Carlo did not engage in much conversation with these officials; upon arriving in Valladolid, he proceeded further north towards Palencia.

This time, Carlo’s travels included a few specially modified cars, not only for convenience but also to test the stability of vehicles on mountain roads.

Palencia is a small town on Spain’s Meseta Plateau and is one of the most drought-stricken towns in Spain.

According to reports from the Valladolid city government, there has been no rain here for nearly six months, and nearby rivers and water sources have almost dried up.

If not for a large water facility north of Valladolid, the people of this town might already be considering relocation.

Without mentioning whether crops can survive without water, the people in this small town certainly cannot live without it.

Although this large water facility plays a crucial role, it belongs to Valladolid and must also sustain Valladolid’s residents’ normal water usage.

Under such circumstances, the once seemingly large water facility quickly becomes inadequate. Carlo’s visit is not only to see the drought firsthand but also to address the serious water shortage issue in Palencia.