The Government’s fiscal package returns to the starting box: Sumar will defend the tax on energy companies in the Plenary

If to obtain the support of Junts and PNV for the fiscal measures, on September 30 the PSOE had to reverse its attempt to make the tax on energy companies permanent – in exchange for maintaining the tax on banks -, yesterday the Government He once again tested the patience of the nationalist part of his parliamentary partners by agreeing with those of Díaz on a 21% VAT for tourist apartments, a new tax on luxury goods, the end of the special tax regime for Socimis and the elimination of the exemption on private health insurance premiums.

The fact is that, mainly because of the blow to the health insurers – yesterday the sector’s employers warned of the damage to 12 million people – this latest agreement did not last even 24 hours; I couldn’t do it because Junts and the PNV are opposed and yesterday The Basques made it clear that if this tax is maintained in the package, “it is very complicated or impossible” for the opinion of the tax reform bill to go ahead.

That bill, by the way, has the declared objective of establishing minimum taxation for multinationals and large corporations, not all the other tax measures that the Executive intends to add to it; As Aitor Esteban said yesterday, ‘distorting’ the norm.

A few hours ago among Díaz’s people the message was still not completely clear, but today the vice president has cleared up the doubts. Asked in the halls of Congress, she assured that the discrepancy over the tax on energy companies remains and that they will defend it in plenary “because we believe it is appropriate and correct,” she assured.

The vice president has expressed confidence that the reform will go ahead, but it does not seem very likely because ERC, Bildu and Podemos continue to oppose unless the tax on energy companies is included, and the PNV says that this is “unviable.”