The president of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, defended this Saturday in his speech before the Federal Committee of his party the agreement that the president of the government, Pedro Sánchez, reached with the management of ERC on a new financing system that would allow this Community to collect 100% of its taxes.
The agreement, a sine qua non condition for Illa to be invested with the votes of the ERC, has caused unease among some of the regional barons of Spanish socialism, who fear that its implementation would imply underfunding of their respective autonomous communities. Within the framework of this apprehension, Illa wanted to convey in his speech a message of firmness and confidence that the new system will not forget the solidarity of Catalonia with the other Communities of the State.
“I have said it in public and in private, my project is a strong autonomy – of which the financing agreement is part – and an involvement in the improvement of Spain in a Europe with a federal horizon,” said the Catalan president, who also reiterated that “Catalonia not only does not leave, but returns” in reference to the end of the stage of the process.
“I am speaking to you today as first secretary of the CPS and president of the Generalitat,” Illa continued. “I was a minister of Spain, I know what Spain is and what Catalonia is, I know that I am where I am thanks to a collective effort of all of you,” he added with a reassuring desire and finally promised his colleagues: “We will return to you the same enthusiasm, the same conviction, the same altruistic effort and the same help that we Catalan socialists have felt.”
Sanchez calls for deepening the federal state
Illa’s remarks are in line with the speech previously given by the President of the Government, which opened the door to greater fiscal autonomy for other Communities, despite criticism from several territorial leaders regarding the pact reached in Catalonia. In addition, Sánchez confirmed that he would run for re-election as Secretary General of the Socialists.
The president asked for his party’s support to deepen a federal model that grants more self-government capacity to all autonomous communities while ensuring that the reform of the financing model that his executive will carry out will be beneficial for all territories, because it will serve to deepen the public policies defended by the socialists.
Regarding the Popular Party’s criticism of the financing model proposed in the agreement, Sánchez accused the conservatives of trying to throw up a smokescreen: “Regional financing is an alibi. It is the umpteenth excuse with which they are trying to hide their neoliberal project.”
Troubles at the gates of Ferraz
But despite the speeches of Illa and Sánchez, there was a feeling of unease within this Federal Commission. For the first time in a long time, this forum became an agora of intense internal debates in which other leaders joined the usual critical voices of the socialist barons of La Mancha and the Aragonese.
At street level and at the gates of Ferraz’s headquarters, upon their arrival at the conclave, several territorial leaders criticized the reform of the financing system agreed with Esquerra in exchange for the investiture of Salvador Illa as president of the Generalitat. In this context, the strongest words were those of Emiliano García-Page, the most combative of the barons.
“I come with enormous concern for the country and for the founding values of the left and social democracy. The proposal that I read, which comes from Esquerra, is more selfish than socialist. It is incomprehensible and indefensible,” Paje protested in front of the microphones and then joined the Committee.
