The Catalans steal from us (even if it benefits us)

The president of the Balearic Government, Marga Prohens, was quick to reject the 1.741 million euros that would correspond to the Balearic Islands for the debt forgiveness of the Autonomous Liquidity Fund (FLA) that the Spanish government has agreed with ERC. The reason given by Prohens to justify the rejection of money that belongs to the citizens of the Balearic Islands is that the proposed figures presented by Minister Montero respond to a debt forgiveness "negotiated by and for Catalonia". And as an added argument, she exhibits an alleged comparative grievance: according to the calculations presented by the Spanish government, the Balearic Islands would be "forgiven" 1,413.4 euros per inhabitant, while in Catalonia it would be 2,133.5 euros per inhabitant.

That is to say, the Balearic Government bitterly refuses to recover the money that is owed to it because the negotiations were made by the perfidious Catalans with the even more perverse Perrosanxe. Prohens and his economic vice-president, Antoni Costa, boast these days of being great managers because they have collected more taxes than ever, after having reduced some. The reality is that the record collection is due to the income from VAT and IRPF, two taxes that are not collected in the Balearic Islands. But, come on, since they are such good managers, see that Catalonia does not receive more money from the FLA forgiveness for the reasons explained. Guillermo Lopez Casasnovas: that Catalonia's debt is higher, while the Balearic Islands are somewhere in between. In any case, if it is any consolation to the island's leaders, the comparative grievance should be established not so much with Catalonia as with Andalusia, the Valencian Community, Galicia or Madrid, which are the communities that benefit most from an agreement that, in fact, was negotiated by "the Catalans".

Another plausible explanation is that Prohens and his executive have simply done nothing in fiscal and financial matters since they have been in government, and that their fabulous management is actually limited to one that pushes day after year, letting itself be swayed by the winds that blow from Madrid (and which are favourable, as a result of the positive functioning of the whole). The citizens of the Balearic Islands can easily resign ourselves to the fact that our leaders are irrelevant, but what we cannot accept is that, in addition, they end up being detrimental to the general interest. Losing 1,741 million euros (which, we insist, belong to the taxpayers) just for obeying the orders of the PP headquarters (paid with black money, by the way), where they live a parallel reality that consists of the double war of the incapable Feijóo against Pedro Sánchez and against the leadership of Ayuso. In pardoning the FLA, Prohens has once again missed a great opportunity to keep quiet, to keep his head and not make a fool of himself (that is, to take the money and run, and not participate in wars that are neither here nor there). Perhaps there is still time to rectify and not harm the interests of the citizens.