The Government demands a multilateral meeting after the PSOE's financing agreement with ERC: "Junqueras isn't even in power"

PalmThe Catalan government is once again criticizing Catalonia's unique financing system, although one A similar agreement applied to the Islands would benefit them.The Catalan Ministry of Finance's initial reaction to ERC president Oriol Junqueras' announcement of an agreement with the Spanish government was to criticize the fact that it was negotiated bilaterally. "Its content is unknown, beyond the brief glimpses offered by one of the parties involved in the meeting," sources from the department stated, referring to ERC: "A party that doesn't even govern in its own region." In this regard, they have already indicated that they have requested a meeting of the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council to "discuss the necessary reform of the financing system."

"Proposals to reform the financing system must be addressed multilaterally in the relevant bodies," these sources insist. Junqueras has announced an agreement that will allocate an additional 4.7 billion euros to Catalonia, 12% of its current revenue. He also stated that the new model represents "the application of the principle of ordinality," which the President of the Government, Marga Prohens, also demanded for the Balearic Islands. In any case, the details of the agreement will not be made public until this Friday, when the First Vice President and Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, will present her points at a press conference. Sources within the Spanish government have explained to EFE that the new financing model will benefit all regions and does not represent a privilege for Catalonia. "This government believes in the State of Autonomies and a strong welfare state," Sánchez explained in a message on social media. In this regard, the Spanish government has urged the People's Party (PP) – especially its national leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo – to study the proposal and support it.

Prohens opposed the negotiations between Catalonia and the Spanish State regarding special funding, and this issue even brought her into conflict with the Catalan president, Salvador Illa, when he visited Palma in November. While the president of the Generalitat proposed a united front to the Popular Party leader for funding that addresses the "unique circumstances" of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, Prohens rejected any "bilateral" approach and urged Illa to negotiate with Spain exclusively in multilateral forums. Otherwise, she warned that the Balearic Islands would appeal "to every possible authority." "How does Catalonia's desire for greater self-government harm the Balearic Islands?" the Socialist leader asked rhetorically.

What does the Government propose?

Like Catalonia, Prohens is also calling for a reform of the financing system that takes into account population growth, the transient population (visitors who also consume public services), the principle of ordinality, and insularity. "We are the second largest contributor to the system, behind Madrid and ahead of Catalonia," Prohens stated last November. However, the Popular Party member follows the directives from the party headquarters in Madrid and refuses to join forces with Catalonia to demand better funding, rejecting any negotiation that is not multilateral.