The President of the Generalitat Valenciana, Carlos Mazón, asked the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, for an “urgent and priority” fund of 1,782 million euros over the next four years so that the Valencian Community, the one that receives the less State resources can reach the average of the rest of the autonomy until a new financing model is negotiated.
“A government decree can resolve it this afternoon,” Mazón said after the first meeting that the two leaders held this Friday in Moncloa, as part of the series of contacts that the head of the Central Executive maintains with regional presidents. “I passed it on to him, I saw that he had written it and that is how this part of the meeting took place,” explained the PP baron during an appearance before the media.
“There is coordination in the visions that we need to talk about at everyone’s table. I’m glad to have heard it,” Mazón explained. He, however, regretted the “lack of specificity” from Sánchez regarding the convening of a Fiscal and Financial Policy Council and a Conference of Presidents to address the reform of the system, which has expired since 2014. A negotiation which, “if desired, can be very brief”. That of the Valencian Community “is the most serious case of all. The President of the Government knows this and I hope he will act accordingly,” he declared.
She also did not receive a specific offer regarding debt relief. In the document that the President of the Generalitat gave to Sánchez – in which “56 reasons why the Valencian Community can no longer wait” are developed – the Generalitat estimates the deficit due to the underfinancing from which it suffers at 22,698 million euros.
“We are the worst funded of all and we are not going to hide anywhere seeking privilege and blackmail.” “We want to talk about these three things at the same time and in front of everyone,” Mazón reiterated. According to him, tackling debt relief without reforming the model “is bread for today and hunger for tomorrow”. At the same time, he considers it “blackmail” to talk about the money that corresponds to the region “in exchange for the suppression of autonomy”, in reference to the criticism of the leaders of the PSOE on the reduction of taxes of the Generalitat “for middle and low incomes.” “, underlined Mazón, while demanding more resources from the government.
In this sense, the head of the Executive expressed to Sánchez his rejection of the Catalan “quota” agreed by the Socialists with the ERC. “This way it will break,” he warned. “We have seen a very worrying political agreement”, but “the fine print” is missing and “the situation could get even worse”, affirmed Mazón.
