Alícia Romero: "Junts knows that there will not be an economic agreement for Catalonia"

BarcelonaThe new financing model has passed the first vote in the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council (CPFF) with the support of Catalonia and the Canary Islands (in addition to the Spanish government) and the vote against it from all autonomous communities governed by the PP and the PSOE. The Minister of Economy, Alícia Romero (Caldes d'Estrac, 1976), is satisfied.

What future awaits the new model now?

— It is very important that it has been approved. The next step is in the Council of Ministers, in a few weeks, and once all the legislative modifications and all the necessary documentation, which is cumbersome and complex because we are modifying organic laws, are prepared, it will enter the Congress of Deputies. It is here that we will have to see the Spanish government's capacity to seek the necessary alliances.

The PP continues to talk about a model that favors Catalonia.

— We do not agree with this statement. The government of Spain will incorporate an additional 21 billion euros so that all communities gain and receive more resources. But, obviously, so that those that were worse financed, among them Catalonia, but also Valencia, Murcia or the Balearic Islands, gain more positions in relation to the rest. Catalonia will gain 4.7 billion; Andalusia, 5 billion; Murcia, 1.2 billion, and Valencia, 3.6 billion. That is to say, in general, everyone will receive more resources. Furthermore, it is a fairer, more egalitarian model, because now, the highest-receiving community has 1,500 euros more per inhabitant than the one that receives the least. This has been reduced to 470.

The Treasury is preparing a fund to compensate autonomous regions that are below the average. Will this not distort the model agreed upon with the Generalitat?

— For Catalonia, it was important that this fund remained outside of the model so that it is not perverted and unbalanced, as happened in 2009 during the parliamentary processing of the current financing model. The Government was aware of this fund and has been working with ERC. And in addition to being allocated to territories with less fiscal capacity so that they generate more activities and income, it will also be able to finance, additionally, all the autonomous communities for certain aspects such as reindustrialization, forest management, climate change, or tourist overcrowding. The fund is not specified and the only thing that is said is that it will be created outside of the model and with a separate law.

What do you think of Madrid's attitude, which did not show up to the meeting and called for a boycott?

— We are satisfied that all the other PP communities have come and have not left the chair empty like Madrid. It is one more excuse to confront the government of Spain.

The PP's autonomous regions are against it, but so are the PSOE's.

— The government of Spain has made itself available to the autonomous communities to hold bilateral meetings. Those led by the PP have not attended. The most dramatic thing is that the PP does not have an alternative model and what we do not want is to be blocked by the 'no'. For this reason, the government has opened itself to talking with all parties, including Junts.

Is there a plan B in case the 4.7 billion that Catalonia would receive are not obtained?

— We must work so that the model is approved. It is true that Junts must enter into this negotiation. It is hard for me to think that they would block a proposal that contributes 4.7 billion to Catalonia. There is also a certain pressure from Catalan civil society in favor of a new financing model. Most economic entities have spoken out, the Cercle, the College of Economists, Pimec, saying it may be better, worse, or different, but it is a model that is moving forward.

The expenditure shifted from one year to the next, up to 5.2 billion euros, mortgages the capacity of the Generalitat. Do you have any plan to reduce it?

— In the field of healthcare, we have more expenses than income. This is not only happening in Catalonia, but in general, also in Europe because people are living longer and longer and active aging generates more expenditure. If we do not improve income, it is very difficult for us to continue sustaining our finances, as well as in education and social services. To the communities governed by the PP, we say that the problems that Catalonia has, they also have. But in the case of Catalonia, the situation is worse than in other communities and the new model will fulfill ordinality: we are the third in contributing and we will be the third in receiving, when we are currently the fourteenth in receiving.

Where do the 21 billion that the State provides in excess come from?

— The government of Spain will have to explain it well. More resources are being received thanks to the improvement of the economy. They have said that they will present the new budget for the year 2027 and we will see exactly where they come from.

Will taxes be raised?

— No. When they asked the person who was then the minister and vice-president, María Jesús Montero, she said it.

Are they already working on the new budgets?

— We are satisfied to have approved those for 2026, with 9 billion euros more than in 2023. Since the economy is doing well, we have been able to incorporate many more resources. I hope that in the coming weeks we can approve the spending ceiling and begin the path for the budgets.

Will the increase in staffing and resources at the Tax Agency of Catalonia (ATC) be very noticeable?

— We approved a program contract with the Tax Agency, which greatly increases resources in the coming years, and results are already being seen. It had been a long time since it incorporated new staff. We are also carrying out a very important technological transformation and we have increased the square meters of the ATC in the same building. All of them are transformations agreed upon with ERC.

Will the ATC be able to collect personal income tax by 2028 as promised?

— I do not like setting dates. I cannot manage it if it is not delegated to me by the government of Spain with a modification of the law. And that is not there yet. And one must have the proper instrument prepared and, nowadays, the ATC is not prepared to manage the personal income tax (IRPF). Today we manage 6.5 billion euros and we would have to move on to manage more than 30 billion. This is not done in two days. We are working on this path in a very prudent and rigorous way, but it is evident that in the beginning we will have to work in collaboration with the Spanish Tax Agency. We will be able to start managing some elements of the personal income tax as soon as possible. I hope it will be in the year 2028, and perhaps in the year 2027. The management of the entire personal income tax will be complex, and I believe all citizens would want us to do it well. The current model is excellent, the Spanish Tax Agency is highly recognized internationally and we will have to do it, at the very least, just as well. And that means preparing the instrument. And at this moment it is not prepared.

The dates have been set by you in the political agreements. Are your partners in agreement with going slower?

— We keep them informed of everything. They are very well aware of what the ATC is doing and I would like to think that they largely share the steps we are taking. It is true that, when we signed the investiture agreement, perhaps we were too optimistic, but I believe that what is important is that we are taking the steps with security and rigor so that, when the day comes, we can fulfill this commitment which is to manage all the personal income tax (IRPF).

There is, at most, one year left until the Spanish elections. If the PSOE does not remain at the Moncloa, how will they do all of this?

— The great advances that have taken place in Spanish democracy have not been rolled back, despite another government coming in. A financing model has never been approved by one government and changed by the next. I believe we are in time for it to be approved before the end of the year. The management of the personal income tax (IRPF) will be a little slower. I do not like to deceive the citizen.

Last year they refinanced 3.5 billion euros, precisely, to obtain better market conditions than those of the FLA and this year they have sought financing from the banks...

— Last year we refinanced FLA debt with the bank for the first time in thirteen years. We are paying less interest and a part of that can go to other things that are of more interest to the citizens. Now, in July, we did another part, 1.8 billion. And we requested authorization for 3 billion more. Therefore, we still have a little more margin for a certain renegotiation of these loans, especially the more expensive ones. We would like to enter the markets, but our situation must improve.

And the forgiveness of a part of the FLA must be approved in Congress.

— At the very least, the groups that support Pedro Sánchez, including Junts, have said they agree with it, although some would ask for more debt forgiveness. In any case, during the legislative process, amendments can also be incorporated. If the forgiveness is approved, we would reduce the debt by 17 billion, which is a lot of resources and a lot of interest that we would stop paying, around 1.5 billion.

Everything depends on the negotiation with Junts. Would the economic agreement be a better financing model for Catalonia?

— There will not be an economic agreement for Catalonia. I believe everyone knows this. I always tell Junts that politics is the art of the possible and, at this moment, there is no support in Congress for an economic agreement. We must try to be a bit realistic and pragmatic and move towards a financing model that we could actually have. An economic agreement is very complicated. It is not based on solidarity and we want to be in solidarity with the rest of the territories.

A minister has resigned and three general secretaries have been replaced in recent weeks. Does the Government need a shake-up?

— There is a cohesive and consolidated team; there have been some specific changes, more for personal reasons than political ones, and the entire government has the desire, the enthusiasm, and the drive to face this new political term. The Government is encountering structural deficits of ten and fifteen years. We are tackling them, such as Rodalies, Education, or Healthcare.

The PSC arrived in Government saying that it would resolve all these issues that remain unresolved. Where can the change be seen?

— Many deep-seated issues are being resolved. This week we have presented the entire Clínic consortium, the entire urban development. We are investing more than ever in Rodalies, but when construction works are carried out, there are difficulties in activity. What is important for a government is that it takes on the problems and tries to resolve them. Some are resolved faster and others, more slowly.

People do not notice improvements in Rodalies.

— I empathize with the citizen, because those who take the Rodalies and face difficulties every day are obviously angry with the Government. We are investing more than ever, but it is true that there is no immediate impact. A little patience is needed. I understand that the citizen who takes the Rodalies every day says they have no more patience, and we will have to empathize and try to connect with their state of mind, but I would like to tell them that we are making every effort to ensure this truly changes.