Despite the collapse of Spain, Madrid continues to grow stronger, as evidenced by the triumphant speech of the President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, during the debate on the state of the region, which is taking place today and tomorrow. Ayuso promised to improve practically all the infrastructure and services of the Community of Madrid, but at the same time announced that he would continue to lower taxes.
Squaring the circle involves partly recycling previously announced measures that have been delayed, in some cases since his first election campaign, such as the 25,000 new affordable housing units he proposed in 2019 and which have been successively adjusted downwards; there will now be 10,500 by the end of the legislature, which will force us to move forward in a hurry, since for the moment only 489 have been delivered. Not to mention the new health centres promised, initially 20, now 35, but of which only four are operational. “Soon”, three more will be in operation, four under construction and 16 more will be put out to tender before the end of next year, he promised. The accounts skyrocket from there: at the end of the legislature in 2027 there will be 34, as he assured.
Ayuso seems so strong in electoral terms that he began his speech by referring to the desire to establish a “legacy”, but he devoted the first block to attacking the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, insisting on the alleged dictatorial will that he attributes “, he said, comparing the situation in Spain to that of Venezuela and even Mexico, which these weeks is discussing a judicial reform that does not seem appropriate to Ayuso either. Then, the usual soup: fascism, socialism and nationalism are “the same thing”, understands Ayuso, capable of saying it and immediately accusing the government of wanting to cover the expenses of the Catalan nationalist bourgeoisie with the income of Madrid families.
After the first blockade, it was time for announcements. The “anachronistic” tax on gifts and inheritances will include a larger bonus for brothers, uncles and nephews, which will increase from 25% to 50%, which will mean a loss of 130 million euros in income, according to her calculations (she calls it a saving). Donations of less than 1,000 euros will also not be taxed.
Ayuso announced that he would opt for split days in primary and secondary education, which will be mandatory in the new schools under construction, which will also accommodate ESO first-cycle students. 8,000 new school places are also promised in schools and institutes in the south.
The disaster of nursing homes during the pandemic has not substantially changed the model of the Community of Madrid, in line with the lack of care during the management by Ayuso and the PP. The president now announces 40 new residences and as many day centers for the elderly by 2030, for an amount of 500 million euros. The detail of the places is that of the 4,200 that will be offered, only 2,460 will be part of the public network; The rest can be covered “with the financing offered by the dependency system”, which is also increasing, indicates the Community of Madrid.
Other announcements have been more innovative; for example, a specialized integrated care center for male victims of sexual violence, focused on childhood and on phenomena between adults such as “chemsex”, as Ayuso expressly put it; or the possibility of picking up parcels at metro stations. To partially compensate for the disorder on metro line 7B in San Fernando de Henares, which led to the demolition of many neighboring houses, the construction of a 12,000 square meter park has been announced. The announcement of investment in water supply can also be interpreted in terms of legacy. Works worth 3.2 billion euros are promised, but the execution horizon extends to 2035.
Everything is going well in Madrid, Ayuso rejoices, because it is on the path to “full employment”, its “streets full of life speak for themselves”, the public and the private “are freely chosen”, and the state government only asks that “you don’t hold back.” The applause in the plenary session of the Assembly, dominated by the PP, was resounding. Tomorrow, it will be the opposition’s turn.
