Family photo, a set that imitates that of the Conference of Presidents, brief speeches and no questions from journalists. Thus the PP has decided to ignore the obvious internal discrepancies that exist between the national and regional leadership, and these among themselves, on the subject of the reform of the autonomous financing that the Government wants to undertake, forced by the agreement sealed between the PSOE and ERC for the investiture of Salvador Illa. Alberto Núñez Feijóo has imposed silence in the face of the avalanche of contradictory declarations from his barons, who cannot even agree on whether or not to attend a hypothetical bilateral meeting with Pedro Sánchez. The socialists reproach him for his project being to “pit Catalonia against Spain”.
Feijóo has gathered the regional presidents of his party in a small palace in the north of the city of Madrid on Friday. None of them made any statements upon entering. The PP has set up a large table with Feijóo in front and all the regional flags behind him. Those of the presidents present, but also the Basque ikurriña or the Catalan senyera. On the front of the table, the motto: “Summit of presidents. Spain is all of us.” But the presidents who are not from the PP were not present, as is logical.
In the middle of the meeting, the leader of the party and the barons made a statement lasting a few minutes to appear on the television and radio news. First, the leader of the party at his own lectern with the heads of government around him. The camera shot, prepared to focus on Feijóo in front of the main door of the mansion. Two columns on either side of the leader of the PP and the flags of Spain and the EU completed the trompe l’oeil of the Moncloa Palace.
After Feijóo’s speech, everyone returned to the building. Minutes later, the heads of the executive branch came out again in pairs, to make their statements at the same time at smaller lecterns and with the garden in the background. The first, simultaneously, were Juan Manuel Moreno and Isabel Díaz Ayuso. “This looks like a fair,” said the Andalusian president, joking, in light of the scenery and method of appearance imposed by Génova.
The PP’s unity of action on the subject of regional financing is limited to rejecting the economic agreement agreed for Catalonia. But the main opposition party does not have an agreed alternative. Or it does not present one. For weeks now, the PP has limited itself to protesting against the supposed concessions to Catalonia.
And Feijóo made this clear again in his speech. The leader of the PP has assured that the meeting on Friday “transcends the party’s acronyms”, despite the fact that only his representatives were present. The leader of the opposition has assured that the objective was to announce to the Spanish people that there is “a solid alternative for change”, although he has not offered a single clue as to what that project is.
The PSOE has been quick to criticise Feijóo’s message. “The PSOE reacts to Feijóo’s message. ‘Once again, the Popular Party’s only plan is to confront Catalonia and Spain. It is not enough for them to have provoked the biggest territorial conflict in the recent history of Spain – a conflict solved by the socialists – but every day they seem determined to bring it back,’ they lament from Ferraz Street.
The Socialists conclude that the Popular Party summit has concluded “without a valid and seriously worked-out proposal for the regional financing system, which has been out of date since 2014.”
18 billion in European funds
Feijóo has dedicated his speech to launching his usual darts against the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, whom he has accused of destroying the unity of the Spanish people. “We offer the Spanish people something very different from what they are offered in Moncloa. In the absence of convictions, we offer principles. In the face of irresponsibility, common sense. In the face of confrontation, understanding. In the face of selfishness, solidarity. And in the face of decadence, hope,” he said.
The leader of the PP has stated that “Spain faces the challenge of inequality”. “Due to the parliamentary weakness of the Government, the weakness of the principles of the Government and the weakness of the President of the Government. Because of power at all costs. General interests no longer count. Words no longer count. Service to institutions no longer count,” he said.
“The only project that the Spanish Government has today is to retain power. The PP’s project is to improve Spain, and with that objective we signed a declaration today,” Feijóo announced. A document that was already leaked last night to different media outlets. “Yes, a new model is necessary. More resources are needed,” he acknowledged. “But the agreement between the Government and the independence movement does not improve the financing of public services in any community, not even in Catalonia. What is sought is the financing of the process,” he reproached. “With the amnesty, immunity was granted to the past and future process. And with the separatist quota, all Spaniards will pay for it,” he said.
Feijóo has outlined the general lines of the minimum agreement signed today by the PP barons. “Firstly, the independence quota must be abandoned,” he began. “We ask for and reiterate the immediate convening of the Conference of Presidents,” he added, to continue: “Thirdly, all the presidents expressly renounce falling into a deceitful bilateralism with regard to the system of financing public services for all Spaniards.”
The first concretion has come in the fourth point: “We believe that there needs to be an immediate economic injection to the communities and we believe that it is possible by decentralizing a part of the non-repayable European funds that Spain has.” Feijóo has asked for “18,000 million euros of the Next Generation funds that [el Gobierno] has not been able to execute. We will also demand that as more funds from surpluses are identified and the Government does not allocate, they are transferred to the autonomous communities, thus avoiding the return of funds to Europe.” But not only the Executive leaves these funds unspent, also the regions of the PP.
Madrid and Andalusia, disagreement without questions
Feijóo has reached the regional financing model in the fifth point: “We are committed to actively contribute to achieving a new multilateral financing model with more resources that, from the common regime, addresses the particularities of each territory and with special attention to public health.”
And that’s it. He has not given a single piece of information on the matter. However, he has asked for more money for the autonomous communities with a “transitional fund to compensate for the imbalances until the renewed system is approved.”
Then came the regional presidents. And from the start it was clear that the unity of action was not more than a paper. The first to speak, at the same time, were Moreno and Ayuso. The Andalusian president has assured that the system that the Government intends means that “those who have more will pay less than those who have less”, despite the fact that he has repeatedly lowered taxes on the highest incomes in his region.
But Moreno has also warned that he will go to Moncloa if Pedro Sánchez calls him: “We are going to talk to everyone, and of course to dialogue with the President of the Government.”
The ‘ex aequo’ response came from 10 metres away. “I welcome this commitment not to talk about it in any bilateral meeting to be deceived,” Ayuso said.
The president of Madrid has acknowledged that “all presidents and all autonomous communities” have “unique problems”. She has specifically mentioned “a problem of insecurity that is growing, an absolute destruction of the Cercanías, an increasing insecurity and a lack of migration control”. “And of course I would like this to be addressed in La Moncloa”, she added, to return to the initial idea: “But I am glad that everything that has to do with the common fund and with the interests of the Spanish people as a whole is only discussed in a loyal forum, with light and stenographers and with everyone together”.
After the series of appearances, the barons and the leader of the PP have returned to the palace. The meeting continues while they enjoy the meal.
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