From Sumar to the PP: the contradictions of the parties with ordinality

BarcelonaRespect for the principle of ordinality (At least as far as Catalonia is concerned) is one of the victories that ERC and the PSC are boasting about in the agreement for new regional financing. The Ministry of Finance accepts it half-heartedly ("The model tends towards ordinality," assured Minister María Jesús Montero) and does not clarify in which other cases it applies, besides Catalonia. Despite Montero's calls for calm, the Socialists of Asturias and Castilla-La Mancha have challenged this principle, which they label as lacking in solidarity, although it is not expected that the deputies from these federations will vote against the text when it reaches Congress. In any case, the PSOE is not the only party performing a balancing act to reconcile its positions in each territory. This is also the case with Sumar and the PP, where there are differing opinions on the ordinality system, although in both cases the position on the model is clear: Yolanda Díaz's party has welcomed it, while Alberto Núñez Feijóo's party rejects it. Within Sumar, the first to speak out was the coordinator of United Left, Antonio Maíllo, also a candidate in the Andalusian elections (and therefore a rival of Montero, the PSOE's lead candidate). "We cannot reward certain regions by giving them greater tax capacity. If there are more wealthy people in a region, this cannot be used as a reason to further fund them," he criticized. Sources within Sumar confirmed to ARA that they share this position: "If this principle applies, the regions would be ranked from richest to poorest. The goal is to ensure that everyone has guaranteed access to public services and that citizens are equal, regardless of where they live," they explained.

However, neither Sumar nor Izquierda Unida oppose the announced model, because they deny the premise: lacking an official ranking of what each region contributes and receives, they maintain that the system presented by the Treasury does not comply with the principle of ordinality. The coordinator of Sumar, Lara Hernández, went a step further and attributed to "coincidence" that Catalonia is now the third largest contributor and the third largest recipient – according to data provided by the Catalan Government and ERC. and according to the adjusted population formulaHowever, negotiations between the Socialists and Republicans dragged on for over a year to try to guarantee this principle for Catalonia, a principle also championed by the Comuns. According to sources familiar with the matter, the Minister of Culture, Ernest Urtasun (Comuns), was kept informed of the progress of the negotiations between ERC and the PSOE.

Does this position clash with the one defended by Sumar, the party for which Urtasun is spokesperson and where the Comuns are integrated in Congress? Sources within Comuns deny any contradiction and, moreover, insist on highlighting that Sumar is the only national group supporting the pact negotiated between the Socialists and the Republicans, given the fierce opposition from the PP and Vox and the position of Podemos, which has avoided taking a stance. "It is true that there are different approaches regarding the order of representation, but no one questions that Catalonia will be included," they assert. The same sources emphasize that even Compromís, initially reluctant, now views the agreement positively.

The case of the PP and the Balearic Islands

The fact that the Balearic Islands are not receiving equal treatment is precisely what has ignited the anger of Més per Mallorca, also part of the Sumar coalition: "We are among the first to contribute, we cannot continue to be among the last to receive," lamented MP Vicenç Vidal. Even more forceful was the CHA party, which is also part of Sumar in Congress. despite the fact that he will be running in the Aragonese elections on February 8th. "We believe that solidarity should take precedence over ordinality (...) That Pedro Sánchez, in a month when he should be making proposals for Aragon, is instead focusing on making proposals for Catalonia is a clear indication of the little importance he gives to Aragon," said CHA candidate Jorge Pueyo, also a member of parliament.

In the case of the PP, Alberto Núñez Feijóo's leadership has strongly opposed respecting the principle of ordinality for Catalonia, because they believe it limits "solidarity" between territories. This position has been defended by the majority of males Popular Party leaders, such as the Andalusian president, Juanma Moreno, and the Aragonese president, Jorge Azcón, support this position. However, a dissenting voice in this debate exists, challenging the official stance of the Popular Party. This is the Balearic president, Marga Prohens, who this summer explicitly declared her support for guaranteeing ordinality for her region.