Antoni Bassas' analysis: "Illa sees a financing agreement for Montero as imminent."

In the president's speech yesterday On the island there was the announcement of thousands of apartments, which has grabbed all the headlines, and a second announcement that has gone more unnoticed but is equally or more important, and whose situation we'll now explain. But first, as we've said, the apartments.

Last year, Isla promised 50,000. This year, he promises another 214,000, in collaboration with the private sector. The government's intention is to approve a bill of urgent housing and urban planning measures that would cut in half the years of bureaucratic procedures that developers and builders must undergo to move their developments forward. Currently, it's five years, and with the new law, it would be two and a half. Therefore, the government wants to streamline procedures, increase street density, and the buildability of plots, by rapidly converting all developable land, public and private, into building plots. And all this in the next five years. Catalonia would have 214,000 new apartments by 2030.

The promise is very ambitious And it would seem that Isla has put all his eggs in the housing basket, aware that it's the real problem. But there's a much deeper problem than financing. You should remember that, a few days ago, Pedro Sánchez announced that before the end of 2025, there will be an agreement between the governments of Catalonia and Spain so that Catalonia will have a new financing system. And the president said more: he said that the system would respect the principle of ordinality. Yesterday, Isla came to say that the agreement won't be long in coming.

Salvador Illa: "We will present our specific proposal when the work is ready. I announce that we will present it calmly, without going against anyone. Some may think it's not enough and will want more. Others may think it's too much and will want less. We will listen to everyone. We will evaluate all proposals based on the content of what is proposed. And also, pay attention to their behavior in recent years."

We know, from sources familiar with the negotiations, that an agreement could be reached before December. Unlike in July, when the Spanish government went so far as to say that transferring the entire tax system to the Generalitat was unconstitutional, Sánchez has now ordered an agreement to be reached. And a financing agreement is assessed by the final figure: how much extra money the Generalitat will receive. That's why Isla says that for some it will be short (the pro-independence parties) and for others it will be scandalous (PP and Vox). Sánchez needs Illa and the PSC (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), and he needs Esquerra (Republican Left) as a strategic partner, present and future, to sustain the government until 2027, and without a budget. Now, remember, once the agreement is reached and approved by the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council (where all the autonomous regions except the Basque Country and Navarre sit, and where the Spanish government holds the majority), the agreement must be approved in Congress with the votes of all the investiture parties, and this will once again be difficult.

Speaking of Sánchez, I'll end with a scene from this morning. There was a control session in the Spanish government. Feijóo announced to Sánchez that he will have him appear before a Senate committee (where the PP holds a majority). Listen to the tone Feijóo used, the way the PP bench shouted at the end, as if Feijóo had scored a goal, and with what a contemptuous phrase Sánchez dismisses him.

Alberto Núñez Feijóo: "We want to abolish prostitution, you say. You, who have experienced it. And your government, which has paid for prostitution with money. You are as smeared as they are."

Francina Armengol: "Mr. President, whenever you want. Silence, please."

Pedro Sánchez: "Keep your spirits up, Alberto."

The PP insists on corruption, forgetting that for many people, the PP is tied, at least, with the PSOE in corruption. And it's obvious from three hours ago that Feijóo was told: "If they attack you with the photo with the drug dealer, attack them with Sánchez's father-in-law's business dealings." And given the state of the world and the problems people face, hearing them speak in that tone is unbearable.

Good morning.