In an agreed document, they ask to stop the Catalan quota, create a transitional fund and avoid “deceitful bilateralism”: “All together”
September 6 () –
The leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, and his territorial ‘barons’ have agreed this Friday on a document with a series of commitments and demands, starting with demanding that the so-called Catalan quota agreed between the PSOE and ERC be “stopped”. In addition, they demand an economic injection of 18,000 million from the Next Generation funds not executed by the Government and to negotiate the financing in multilateral forums, renouncing falling into the “deceitful bilateralism” and the “auctions” of the Government of Pedro Sánchez.
“All together,” Feijóo proclaimed in an open appearance to the media during a break from the meeting he is holding with his territorial ‘barons’ at the Palace of the Dukes of Pastrana in Madrid, in which he sought to simulate the Conferences of Presidents that the ‘popular’ have been demanding from the Executive for months, given that they have not met since March 2022.
This meeting – which began with a family photo to show unity and the territorial strength of the PP – was attended by 10 regional presidents of the PP, the presidents of Ceuta and Melilla, the vice president of the Canary Islands, and the vice president of the Balearic Islands. The Balearic president, Marga Prohens, was unable to travel to Madrid due to the meeting of the governing council and the opening of the school year, according to ‘popular’ sources.
The leader of the opposition has pointed out that a new financing model is necessary – the current one dates back to 2009 – with “more resources for all the autonomous communities, much more than the 400 million euros” that, according to him, the Government has announced. However, he has reiterated that this new system must be agreed upon in multilateral forums such as the Conference of Presidents or the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council (CPFF).
FIRST DECISION: “STOP THE INDEPENDENCE QUOTA”
Feijóo explained that the first decision they have agreed upon at this PP summit is to “stop the pro-independence quota”, so that “both the Government and the Generalitat return to the minimum principle of institutional loyalty”. It is a matter, he continued, of “what belongs to everyone being decided by everyone”.
Secondly, they have again called for the immediate convening of the Conference of Presidents so that “the ordinary representatives of the State can be heard throughout the nation instead of only responding to the demands of a minority.”
Thirdly, he pointed out that “all PP presidents” “expressly renounce falling into a deceitful bilateralism with regard to the system of financing public services for all Spaniards.”
“The PSOE has submitted the general interests to different auctions. We are not going to participate in them,” he assured, after Sánchez announced a round of individual contacts in Moncloa with each president and is willing to offer “singularities” for each territory.
Fourthly, Feijóo has indicated that they believe that “there needs to be an immediate economic injection to the communities” and has explained that the PP believes that this is possible by decentralising part of the non-repayable European funds that Spain has available.
“We demand that the Executive immediately make available to the autonomous communities 18 billion euros of the Next Generation funds that they have not been able to execute,” he said, adding that they will also demand that, “as more funds from surpluses that the Government does not award are identified, they be transferred to the autonomous communities, thus avoiding the return of funds to Europe.”
CREATE A TEMPORARY FUND TO COMPENSATE FOR IMBALANCES
Fifthly, Feijóo and his ‘barons’ are committed to “actively contributing to achieving a new model of multilateral financing with more resources, which, from the common regime, addresses the particularities of each territory and with special attention to public health.”
Sixthly, they propose the creation of a transitional fund to “compensate for imbalances until the renewed system is approved with the aim of reducing the underfunding of the autonomous communities to guarantee equality in the provision of services.”
“First decision, to stop the independence quota and the commitment that what belongs to everyone will be decided by everyone. Second, immediate economic injection of more than 18 billion euros from the Next Generation funds that Spain has. Third decision, together we will work on a new model, on updating the regional financing system with more resources for all Spaniards, not just for those who support the independence movement,” Feijóo summarised in his appearance.
FINANCING UPDATE BUT NEGOTIATING “TOGETHER”
The leader of the PP has insisted that the commitment they have agreed on is to be “all together” in this purpose of negotiating the financing in a multilateral way, a day after the president of Madrid Isabel Díaz Ayuso asked her party colleagues not to sit down with Sánchez until the Conference of Presidents meets because she is going to try to “bribe” them by seeking to “whitewash the territorial rupture.”
They have also committed to working “together” to update the financing system, “with more resources for all Spaniards, not just for those who support independence,” since, in their opinion, “it is unacceptable that this Government expects Spaniards to live off the leftovers from its arrangements with the separatists.”
Feijóo stressed that what “provides solutions” for Catalonia and the rest of Spain is an update of the financing system agreed in the forums in which “everyone” is present, “free of suspicion and ideological gains on the part of the independence movement or personal gains on the part of socialism.”
In fact, he said that Catalans are being “deceived and used” by the PSOE, which has adopted the “separatist fallacies” as “its own”. “With the amnesty, impunity was granted to the past and future independence process and with the quota, all Spaniards will pay for it,” he reiterated.
CLAIMS THE FISCAL AUTONOMY OF THE REGIONAL COMMUNITIES
The PP president has also called for fiscal autonomy for the autonomous communities. The PP have recently denounced that what the Government and its partners are seeking is to “cut” the autonomy of the autonomous communities in order to approve tax cuts.
“Fiscal independence cannot be granted to maintain pro-independence embassies and stalls and, at the same time, put obstacles in the way of those who decide to boost economic activity by reducing taxes,” he said.
HE BELIEVES THAT SPAIN IS FACING THE “CHALLENGE OF INEQUALITY”
According to Feijóo, Spain is “facing the challenge of inequality” under Pedro Sánchez. “It is not the first time that over the course of these 45 years of democracy we have had to defend our rights against different threats. But it is the first time that these threats are led by the Government of the nation,” he proclaimed.
In this regard, the leader of the PP has stated that “the only project that the Spanish Government has today is to retain power” while “the Popular Party’s project is to improve Spain.” “General interests no longer count, only those of those who intend to prolong their stay in power matter,” he added.
Finally, Feijóo has demanded that public resources be allocated to public services and distributed “fairly” to guarantee that Spaniards “are equal.” For this reason, he has said that the PP governments will be “the safety net of principles and responsibility” that Spaniards can trust in in the face of the PSOE’s “leap into the void” with the independence movement and the “abuse of power, excesses, nonsense, deceit and concessions” of the Government.
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