The PP is missing a key element in Catalonia: funding

BarcelonaThe People's Party (PP) is missing a key piece in its solution plan for Catalonia: funding. Although it knows that without Catalonia's support, reaching the Moncloa Palace (the Spanish Prime Minister's residence) becomes much more difficult, it often plays on anti-Catalan sentiment, which benefits it abroad. That regional funding is an uncomfortable issue for the party led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo was made clear this week during the speech by the PP's Deputy Secretary for Economy, Alberto Nadal, at a luncheon organized by Pimec (the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Association). Following the presentation by Pimec President Antoni Cañete and his subsequent remarks, when Nadal was asked about Catalonia's fiscal deficit, which, according to 2022 data published by the government, ranges between 8.2% and 5.2% of GDP, he offered no answers. He argued that each autonomous community has its own interests and, therefore, should establish expert committees to determine their needs and then share them. Together, he said, they would be able to reform the model, conveniently ignoring the fact that the reforms implemented so far have always originated in Catalonia. Little else. He didn't quite convince the audience of an organization that had signed a document with seven other business and economic organizations demanding improvements to the Spanish government's funding proposal, the so-called G-8. The attendees applauded when Nadal pledged to lower taxes, deregulate, and repeal certain environmental and labor laws if he were to come to power in Spain. But on the issue of funding, the proposed solutions fell short.

Together, for the budgets

The push for a new budget for Catalonia continues unabated. It's not just Salvador Isla's government. The social partners are also involved, having signed an agreement advocating for a budget. Continuing his alignment with Junts, the president of Foment del Treball, Josep Sánchez Llibre, reminded the employers' association's general assembly that if ERC blocks the budget, they must seek other allies in the opposition. In short, without naming them, he referred to Junts, whose "courage" he did highlight in joining the PP and Vox in defeating the reduction of working hours. Sánchez Llibre never misses an opportunity to invoke Carles Puigdemont to block measures he considers counterproductive for businesses. And he's not the only one who would welcome a Junts alliance with the PSC, which for now is looking to the left while the post-convergent party is looking to the right.