The Christmas speech president Pere Aragonès has not been liked by the opposition in Catalonia. In his speech yesterday, Tuesday, the national coordinator of Esquerra Republicana combined the request to the central government for “singular financing” for the Generalitat with that of negotiating the bases of the independence referendum and took the opportunity to also take advantage of the good data of unemployment, the hiring of more teachers, health personnel and mossos and the arrival of significant investments in technology. PSC, En Comú Podem and Ciudadanos agree on the criticism, although with nuances: they see triumphalism and inaction in the Government that, according to the head of the opposition, Salvador Illa, is trying to hide with the “permanent” excuse of the gap in the model of financing that, if it coincides, needs to be improved.
Illa preferred to wait until a press conference this Wednesday in Cervera (Lleida) to evaluate Aragonès' speech, which some of the other leaders of the groups did evaluate via X, the old Twitter, a few minutes after it was broadcast. “It is clear that we need good, fair and agreed financing, but it is also clear that it is used as an excuse not to do the work we need to do,” said the leader of the Catalan socialists.
The head of the opposition has disgraced the Republican for not having sent the head of the Economy two weeks ago, Natàlia Mas, to the meeting of the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council where the Ministry of Finance and the regional councilors of the branch participate. It is in this multilateral forum where a possible reform of the regional financing system, which has expired for years, would be debated, but the Generalitat insists on not wanting to participate in order to give priority to deciding bilaterally. Illa has assured that he will not support any “divisive” movement, also referring to the request to agree on the terms of a possible referendum, and has asked the Government to “govern”.
“The balance of the last ten years does not give rise to triumphalist balances,” added Illa, after recalling the poor results in the Pisa tests, the lack of implementation of infrastructure planned after the drought of 2008 and which would now be key before the emerging emergency or the loss of steam in the implementation of renewable energies.
Although Aragonès directly questioned the opposition to allow him to carry out the Budgets for the last year of the legislature, Illa has only referred to the issue when asked by journalists. “If the 2023 agreements are not met, we will not open negotiations for 2024,” the socialist has assured. On the pending list would be, among others, ensuring the processing of the Hard Rock convention and casino tourism project.
The leader of the Commons bench, Jéssica Albiach, spoke along similar lines on Tuesday night. “The speech of president Aragonès is the demonstration that we have a Government of good words and few actions,” the representative of the commons wrote on social networks. Albiach described the balance made by the Republican as “triumphalistic” and was displeased that he did not delve into the problems of housing and “ecological planning.”
What affects the most is what happens closest. So you don't miss anything, subscribe.
Subscribe
That last is the front on which En Comú Podem hopes to be able to put pressure on ERC. The votes of those from Albiach are necessary for the accounts to go forward, if there is also an agreement either with the PSC or with Junts. Aragonès, in the previous accounts, made balances to keep the Hard Rock project alive, but without it being reflected in items in the Budget, and the commons had accepted that formula as good. This time, they have conditioned support for the accounts to a clear distancing of the Catalan Executive from the tourism project.
For Ciudadanos, the speech has been “insignificant.” ”Again amnesty, more imposition of Catalan, transfer of Rodalies and secession referendum. Power in Catalonia lives from and for the process,” the party leader in the Chamber, Carlos Carrizosa, also wrote on Twitter. The orange also took the opportunity to charge against the socialists, whom he accuses of “resurrecting a processes already dead” with the agreements in exchange for the investiture of Pedro Sánchez.
Silence reigns in the ranks of Junts, the former ERC partners in the Government. Some deputies, like Ramon Tremosa, have made tangential references to the speech, but pointing out the poor audience figures (16.4% of the audience saw Aragonès' speech). The leader of Vox, Ignacio Garriga, wrote in X, the same Tuesday, that the president “despises the majority of Catalans” by not mentioning serious problems such as “growing illegal immigration.”
You can follow EL PAÍS Catalunya in Facebook and xor sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter
#Illa #accuses #Aragonès #hiding #Government39s #inaction #complaint #financing #gap