Costa (PP): "We have the most affinity with Vox"

PalmDespite the difficulties – they will clash again this Tuesday in Parliament over the language issue – the PP is not giving up on Vox to approve the spending cap. The First Vice President and Minister of Economy and Finance, Antoni Costa, insisted during the government's question time: "We have the most affinity with Vox." "We believe in continuing to negotiate, seeking common ground without betraying either party's red lines," he emphasized.

After the first round of consultations with the parties to pass the legislation—which forms the basis of the budget—Costa said he only sees options for continuing negotiations with Vox and the PSIB. However, he made his preference clear. Addressing Vox deputy Sergio Rodríguez, he said, "With you first and foremost." However, he also set conditions: "Not to deviate from our program's roadmap and to focus the negotiations on the spending cap and the budget."

Costa responded in this way to Rodríguez's question criticizing the "two-way" meetings of the Government. "Do you want to negotiate something with Pedro Sánchez's party?" he said: "Some loves are deadly." In this regard, Rodríguez warned the PP against the temptation to agree to an increase in the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS) or a tax on cars not registered in the Islands, emphasizing that, for Vox, these are red lines.

Estarellas says that accepting state resources does not imply receiving minors

For her part, the Second Vice President and Minister of the Presidency, Antònia Estarellas, sought to reassure Vox regarding unaccompanied migrant minors. In her statement, she said that accepting state funds to care for those already under the guardianship of the island councils does not, "under any circumstances," imply accepting money linked to the distribution of young people from the Canary Islands.

She said this after Vox spokesperson Manuela Cañadas criticized the Spanish government for allocating 1.2 million euros to the Islands to care for "illegals," instead of using it "for the citizens here." "We understand that they will reject this money so as not to encourage a pull factor or continue supporting human trafficking mafias, because otherwise their rhetoric would be meaningless," Cañadas said. Estarellas reminded her that the Balearic Government has already filed six appeals against the state distribution system.