The President of Castile-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Pagegave as an example the Community of Madrid, chaired by Isabel Diaz Ayusoto criticize the Catalan quota that his party, the PSOE, agreed with ERC in exchange for its support so that Salvador Illa could be the new president of the Generalitat of Catalonia. “What would we say about Madrid if it refused to distribute its wealth?”asked the socialist leader, since the region governed by Ayuso “is the one with the most income in Spain”, and yet it is the community that contributes the most to the autonomous financing system, almost triple that of Catalonia.
This is how Page expressed himself this Tuesday during his speech in the Parliament of Castile-La Mancha during the debate on the state of the region, the first of the current legislature. In this debate, the current model of regional financing was addressed, after the government of Pedro Sanchez A Catalan quota was agreed with the separatists.
In this sense, Emiliano García-Page gave as an example the Community of Madrid chaired by Isabel Díaz Ayuso, wondering what would happen if this region refused to “share its wealth”, being the one that contributes the most to the regional financing system . . The Community of Madrid is the region that has contributed the most to the system of solidarity between the Spanish regions, with 7.395 million eurosfollowed by Catalonia, with 2,088 million. This is indicated by the latest Fedea report, which analyzes official figures from the Ministry of Finance.
To this it must be added that Catalonia received more state funding than Madrid in 2022, according to the same report. That is, the government itself denies the claims of Pedro Sánchez and the separatists that Catalonia is underfunded.
“If instead of being the Catalan separatists who say that since they are richer, they want to keep it and give a little, if instead of being the separatists this step was taken by the community of Madrid, which is the one with the most income in Spain. “Look, we’re rich here, what’s this sharing thing? I am convinced that the entire Spanish left and all members of the government, including its territorial terminals, would have clearly declared that which breaks the tie of Spain. Well, that’s what I say: he who makes it does it and he who publishes it publishes it. It’s that simple,” Page said during his speech on the stand.
“Populism is over”
The socialist leader once again criticized the single financing of Catalonia, as agreed between the Sánchez government and the ERC, resuming his high threat in an institutional declaration of July 31 and assuring that “Populism is over”. Page asked for “help and collaboration” to “enrich” a debate on funding that “can find common ground” if separated from “political situations.”
“It is a very serious management model, which has long been delayed and which requires a calm debate. In this case, populism is over,” declared the president of Castilla-La Mancha, while affirming that the new financing model “either belongs to everyone and among all, or there will be none”.
Page, in addition to using Madrid and Ayuso as an example to reject the Catalan quota, asked create a temporary fund leveling to compensate underfunded communities until the regional funding model is changed, as well as a debt restructuring and tax harmonization project.
“It is essential to create a transition fund until there is a new financing model, if ever there is one, and in which the old model is liquidated.” concerning the criteria of justice“, he indicated.
Emiliano García Page highlighted that state revenues have increased twice as much as those of the autonomous communities, so “it is clear that someone wins if there is no pattern“. “Castile-La Mancha, Murcia, Valencia or Andalusia suffer because they are objectively underfinanced communities, which is why it is necessary to establish a leveling fund,” he argued.
“Debt restructuring”
At this stage, he recalled with reference to the Minister of Finance, Maria Jesus Monterothat “the one who deals with the question of financing, when she was Minister of the Treasury in Andalusia, said the same thing”, and stressed that “we cannot change hats depending on where the we find each other.”
In addition, Emiliano García-Page asked the Spanish government for “debt restructuring”emphasizing that underfunded regions have been demanding this measure for “years” and that “it’s a bit boring that we’re talking about this subject because the separatists say so.”
The socialist leader deplored that these regions, “since it is not well financed”, must request money from the bank and compensate “to the detriment of interests” the money that does not reach “justice”. It is for this reason that he called for considering a restructuring of the debt “under the most favorable conditions of the financial market”.
