Pedro Sanchez performed a new sleight of hand: on the day he was supposed to defend, or even explain, the tax agreement for Catalonia, he had the PSOE Federal Commission say that that was not the issue: “On regional financing The real debate is not between territories, but between models“.
In a half-hour speech, before a packed hall of Ramón Rubial and a Ferraz headquarters with even more journalists per square meter than police protecting the security of the president of the government, Sánchez said that “the problem is that the right has a model of discounts and privileges and the PSOE wants to continue transforming Spain so that rights do not become commodities“.
A smiling and relaxed Sánchez, despite the tension felt at the entrance of this Federal Committee, confirmed that there are three years left in the legislature, although he admitted that now is when “a new stage” begins. He assures that he will continue to implement his policy “with or without the contributions of the opposition,” he warns, “and with or without the assistance of the legislative powerwhich must necessarily be more constructive and less restrictive.”
The socialist leader He only mentioned Catalonia to “congratulate” Salvador Illaat the beginning of his speech. He spoke more about the Community of Madrid, the Valencian Community, Andalusia and Extremadura, regions governed by the PP. Alberto Nuñez Feijoo“the one who said he brought politics to adults, and today I don’t know if his frustration or his despair is greater.”
In each of these regions he took a supposed example of this “Neoliberal and failed” political modelcompared to the social democrat, who assured that “today we lead from the PSOE” in Europe and in the world.
The arguments
The Federal Committee, theoretically, was convened to confirm the convocation of the 41st PSOE Congress, at the end of November.
Sanchez didn’t say anything “align” the party with its theses -they were the ones who created the real expectation and didn’t explain it-, but they did it put him on his feetwith force and with a certain imposed suspense.
It was at the end of his opening speech at the conclave: “Let’s not take what I’m going to tell you now as normal.”” he said, before confirming that he would run for office with “charged batteries, new ideas, the best teams and well-defined priorities.”
He had already outlined the six priorities last Wednesday, during the opening conference of the course. But the last one, that of world peace, was used to cite Ukrainehas Palestine Already Venezuela as three commitments to defend multilateralism and human rights from your government: “Spain will not abandon heroes like Edmundo González”.
From this government, which has once again announced that it has “long since” defended its service record and its “optimism to look towards the horizon of the challenges facing our country,” now that, for the first time, there are no upcoming elections.
Sanchez intends to do so, once again, by necessity virtue. So enjoy melon regional financing, opened by its pact with ERC to give “unique financing” to Catalonia to consolidate a new territorial model.
For this, he will receive “in the coming weeks” the regional presidents “who wish” to Moncloa. And he will tell them all that he is going to double the regional compensation fund and that they will receive “more financial transfers than when Mariano Rajoy was in power”.
In reality, on the one hand, this ignores the real debate: that of break in one box so that Catalonia collects, manages, regulates and decides “100% of its taxes”. And on the other hand, he does not commit to anything. Because receiving more than in the years of the PP it’s already happening -as he himself has repeatedly stated- and, moreover, it is not a valid story, after seven years, with its changes, its crises and, above all, inflationary rebounds accumulated.
Furthermore, if the regional compensation fund is currently supported by three communities (Madrid, Catalonia and the Balearic Islands), the fact that one of them leaves the system can only be resolved in two ways: or the other two put what is missing (and more, if the total amount has to be doubled) or where is the state. And in this case, the two possible paths also deserve a political debate: or resources are withdrawn other games, or taxes are increased.
And this time, the Secretary General of the PSOE has said nothing of this. Just from the confrontation of your model, “progress tip”he said, and that of the PP, “very similar to that of Vox and the international far right”which he cited three times.
The Barons
After his speech, the cameras went black. And the real federal committee, the most tense of those that have met since Sánchez came to power, began. Even more so than the last one, in which the entire party was sinking because of his “Five days of reflection”after his wife was accused of corruption and influence peddling.
The President himself had “thanked” at the beginning of his speech, demonstrations of “unity and support” for him, his “partner” and his “brother” at that time.
But it was not a commission for the congress, but to finally discuss the Catalan quota, a debate “stolen” from critics for two months and which, according to many of them, endangers constitutional consensus and fairness.
What they didn’t realize Pedralbes Declaration (that of the “political conflict”), nor the sorry (which will never be approved), nor the repeal of the sedition (which was done to adapt the Penal Code to our environment), nor the reduction of the sentence embezzlement (to return to a bad reform imposed by the PP), nor the amnesty (which made virtue a necessity), Catalonia’s “unique financing” achieved this.
Illa spoke first, already with the black screens, first. But then the microphones were also cut off. Then other barons spoke, including Emiliano Garcia-Page. Socialist sources claim that he said inside “essentially the same thing as at the entrance”. And at the entrance it was the same: “so far! from last July.
Miguel Angel Gallardo (Extremadura) also supported him, showing his rejection of Catalonia’s exit from the common regime.
Page had hit the nail on the head in the socialist defence of equality: “I don’t think there’s much the fools who swallow these stories“, said the Castilian-La Mancha at the entrance, combative. “What is known about the agreement with the ERC He is more selfish than socialistbut we haven’t seen any signed document yet… I’m coming to fight to have it, to be able to debate and disagree.”
Juan Lobato (Madrid) did not know how to get out of the mess and refused to answer twice, asking for “reflection”. While Juan Espadas (Andalusia) has claimed leadership in its region to ensure that This change of model “does not privilege a fewand it ends up being good for everyone.
Others, those closest to Sánchez, defended “the definitive construction of a federal Spain on an autonomous Spain.” It was a resounding phrase. Francine Armengol (Balearic Islands), very similar to those of Patxi López, parliamentary spokesperson, or Jose Ramon Gomez Besteiro (Galicia).
Even the Valencian Diane Morant He managed to verbally support the privilege of Catalonia over his region, the least financed in Spain: “Today we are going to address a transcendental issue, because we Valencians always ask for a federal model,” he said.The agreement with ERC goes in this direction, which is to resolve the problem. And we will contribute energetically to this new model.”
