The First Vice President and Minister of Tax authorities, Maria Jesus Monteroasked this Wednesday to autonomous communities a “fiscal effort” to guarantee a similar level of public services for Catalan quota. However, Andalusian politics insists that the gift of Pedro Sanchez to ERC to invest Salvador Illa In Catalonia This is done taking into account the principle of “solidarity”.
Concretely, the Treasury official affirms that it will be possible to maintain a similar level of public services “provided that they also make a similar budgetary effort.”
The minister, in her speech before the Senate Plenary Session To explain the tax agreement with ERC, he highlighted the concept of “singular financing” for Catalonia, avoiding the use of the term economic concert despite the insistence of People’s Party and the concerns expressed by independence groups.
The Andalusian politician stated that, according to the ERC’s fiscal donation, Catalonia’s contribution to the State in this new model of “solidarity” will be determined through a percentage of participation in the taxes.
Montero calls for a “budgetary effort”
“The contribution must be explicit and must be reflected transparently, to the point that the agreement includes that the Generality must contribute to solidarity with the autonomous communities, a solidarity that allows the services provided by the different autonomous governments its citizens can achieve similar levels, provided they also make a similar budgetary effort,” he added.
And, as Montero defended, the share of “solidarity” that Catalonia would bring to the State with this new single model would be similar to the current regional financing system, although it required a fiscal effort on the part of the communities to achieve similar levels in terms of public services.
In her speech before the plenary session of the Senate, which other members of the government did not attend because it coincides with an act by President Pedro Sánchez, Minister Montero acknowledged that Catalonia would begin to collect one hundred percent of taxes through the Catalan Tax Agency, as shown by the agreement with ERC for Salvador Illa to be president of the Generalitat.
“The management, collection, settlement and control of all taxes incurred in Catalonia are the responsibility of the Catalan Tax Agency, with the exception of those of a local nature. Secondly, the Catalan contribution to state finances includes the contribution to state expenditure,” added Montero.
Montero therefore proclaimed that the agreement between ERC and CFP “does not deploy more or less than what was already planned in the Statute of Autonomy of Cataloniavalidated by the Constitutional Court and, therefore, as provided in the Constitution“.
“An expansion of the fiscal space in line with the desire to advance self-government, of course, while at the same time guaranteeing inter-territorial solidarity,” said the First Vice President and Minister of Finance.
However, Minister Montero defended the agreement with the ERC, castigating critics who speak of a “non-solidarity pact” with the rest of the autonomous communities: “It is a solidarity agreement that deepens the federalism“.
Montero began his speech before the plenary of the Senate by accusing the PP of having forced him to appear in the Upper House to explain this agreement with the ERC, rejecting that the economic agreement for Catalonia is “fiscal secessionism” as the popular.
As Vice President Montero said in her speech, “the PP’s favourite sport is to use Catalonia simply as an element of confrontation to try to win votes in the rest of the territory.”
