Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has guaranteed that a reform of Spain's autonomous community funding model will be implemented before the current legislative term concludes. Speaking at the PSC's annual 'Festa de la Rosa' event in Gavà, Barcelona, Sánchez emphasized that the renewal is long overdue after eleven years of majority PP governments. The event attracted approximately 15,000 attendees according to party estimates, with prominent figures including Catalan President Salvador Illa and Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni in attendance.
Sánchez framed the proposed financing overhaul as essential for strengthening Spain's welfare state, asserting it would benefit both Catalonia and other territories across the country. He highlighted that regional governments now manage an increasing number of public policies, making adequate funding crucial. The prime minister contrasted his government's approach with that of Madrid's regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso, accusing her administration of allocating only 45% to social policies while maintaining privileges for the wealthy.
The financing reform represents a key element of the investiture agreement between Sánchez's Socialist Party and Esquerra Republicana (ERC), which facilitated Salvador Illa's presidency of Catalonia. Sánchez pointed to preliminary measures already implemented, including €300 billion in transfers to autonomous communities during this legislature and debt relief arrangements. He criticized PP-led regional governments for opposing the debt forgiveness proposal, labeling their stance as "pure, hard dogma" and comparing it to a citizen refusing bank debt relief.
The government's approach, as outlined by First Vice President and Finance Minister María Jesús Montero, aims to create a system emphasizing solidarity and equality among autonomous communities. The new model seeks to provide all territories with equal capacity to exercise competencies while ensuring sufficient resources for healthcare, education, and dependency services. The reform commitment comes as ERC has separately proposed legislation for Catalonia to collect personal income tax revenue, highlighting ongoing tensions in the negotiation process.
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