Several Autonomous Communities support the adjusted population criterion in the financing reform, but demand a meeting of the CPFF

MADRID, 8 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Several autonomous communities, such as the Balearic Islands, Castilla-La Mancha or Murcia, have supported with nuances the inclusion of the adjusted population criterion in the reform of regional financing, as the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has pointed out, although many of them They demand a convocation of the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council (CPFF) to discuss it among all regions and not only bilaterally with Catalonia.

Specifically, Sánchez guaranteed that the new regional financing model will take into account "objective" criteria in terms of adjusted population "so that there is no criticism from any regional government."

Given this, several regional governments have been reacting in different ways to Pedro Sánchez's intention to include the criterion of the adjusted population in the reform of regional financing, although some regional Executive, as is the case of Galicia, has claimed that it has take other aspects into account.

In this context, the Balearic Government of the 'popular' Marga Prohens has been in favor of including the adjusted population criterion in the reform of regional financing, although it points out that it must take into account variables such as population growth, the cost of life, the floating population and insularity.

Sources from the Ministry of Finance also emphasize that it is important that the principle of ordinality is complied with, so that if the archipelago is the second in fiscal capacity (the more it contributes) it must be second in financing after the leveling process (the more it receives). ).

In the case of the socialist Government of Emiliano García-Page, it has shown its "satisfaction" that the new reform of the regional financing model takes into account the adjusted population criterion.

From the Ministry of Finance they are grateful that Sánchez has put on the table "one of the most important elements" for the Castilla-La Mancha Executive when talking about new regional financing, such as the adjusted population criterion.

From the Murcian Government of López Miras, sources from the regional Executive recall that the Ministry of Finance already sent a proposal in 2021 based on the adjusted population criterion and there has been no further news since 2022.

In turn, they explain that at that time the technical contribution of the proposed reform was positively valued, although there are aspects that leave room for "discretion", which is why they fear that they are a "new back door to privilege some Autonomous Communities over others with arbitrary criteria".

In any case, they believe that addressing the adjusted population is only a partial vision of the reform, which is why they demand that this issue be addressed, "not through Sánchez's announcements or opaque negotiations with independentists", but in the Policy Council. Fiscal and Financial and that the system guarantees the sufficiency of resources.

Also from the Government of the Canary Islands, where the CC and PP are in coalition, they have formally demanded the urgent convening of the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council to address the financial policy of the autonomies in the face of possible "bilateral agreements" between parties.

For his part, the president of the Xunta de Galicia, Alfonso Rueda, has maintained that the new regional financing is an issue that must be addressed "together" and has recalled that there are more criteria that must be taken into account than the population. objective.

"If that means that he is going to sit us all down to talk about financing and that he is not going to reach bilateral agreements, detracting resources from others, that is welcome," said the Galician president, who has maintained that he is willing for Galicia "feels" as the Xunta itself claims.

After emphasizing that the matter should be "discussed among everyone" and "without resources already distributed", he assured that the objective population is one of the criteria that must be taken into account but that "there are others" such as "the cost of Provision of services".

For their part, sources from the Catalan Generalitat tell Europa Press that their proposal "is a unique financing model for Catalonia."

The current regional financing model was approved in 2009 during the Zapatero Government, with a negotiation with the pro-independence parties through which Catalonia secured almost 4,000 million additional euros.

Precisely, the reform of the regional financing model has also led to the investiture agreements that the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, has reached with ERC, more specifically to debt forgiveness and the possibility of reaching an agreement bilaterally.

In fact, the agreement between PSOE and ERC states that a bilateral commission will be established during the first quarter of 2024 between the Government and the Generalitat with the aim of reaching an agreement and enabling progress in achieving "adequate financing that guarantees the financial sufficiency of the public services of Catalonia", as well as "ensuring compliance with the investment commitments contained in the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia".