Debt forgiveness is on the way despite the PP's refusal

MadridThe PP communities did not spend even an hour at the meeting of the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council (CPFF) on Wednesday. The PP ministers for the Economy and Finance left the meeting in protest against the debt forgiveness, which they consider a measure made to measure for Catalonia. They all refused to participate in the debate and vote on a proposal that had already "been agreed in another forum" and left the meeting en masse, which lasted two hours only with the presence of the first vice president, María Jesús Montero, Catalonia and the rest of the autonomous communities governed by the socialists - Asturias, Navarra and Castilla-La Mancha. These are the ones that approved it. The Minister of Finance has denounced the "negligence of duties" of the PP ministers and has attributed this "scrupulousness" and "cowardice" to the will not to submit to the contradiction of voting against and, subsequently, requesting the forgiveness.

The scene is the confirmation of the total clash between the Spanish government and the PP, this time without Alberto Núñez Feijóo as the protagonist in the first person, but with the twelve popular councillors and those of Ceuta and Melilla. "We will not be complicit in the permanent concessions to the independence movement," complained the Andalusian councillor, Carolina España, although hers is the community that has benefited the most in absolute terms and also in relative terms from the measure. "We reject a model that the government has negotiated bilaterally with ERC. What we want is to participate," insisted the Madrid councillor, Rocío Albert. Their argument is that they are not willing to be a "sidekick," something that Montero has insisted is an "excuse." "If they accepted the proposal, they think that they would run out of discourse of confrontation against the very bad government of Pedro Sánchez. And since they do not want to confront Feijóo, they leave," added Montero. They could not have come and the CPFF would not have been able to be formed due to lack of quorum, but then the debt forgiveness would not have started on the road. A proof, according to the Treasury, that they want it. Already in the control session in Congress this morning, Sánchez predicted that Feijóo will be "trapped in his contradictions."

There are communities such as the Valencian Community and Andalusia that have not ruled out accepting the forgiveness once the time comes. Others, such as the Balearic Islands and the Community of Madrid, promise that they will not do so. "No is no. The Balearic Islands will reject the forgiveness. I am very clear," said the Balearic minister Antoni Costa, who sees a "moral risk" in this precedent. "In Madrid we say that debts must be paid," Albert pointed out. This will be a decision for the future, but now the PP wanted to show an image of unity that, they say, they had previously agreed upon and that had the consent of Génova. Within the conclave, the Galician minister, Miguel Corgos, took the floor to express the opposition of the PP and together with his colleagues they left. The minister asked them if they would stay, at least, to listen to her position, but there was no time left.

Juntos now supports the proposal

If the PP remains in the No, in Congress the Spanish government will need the majority of the investiture. The day after the vagueness of Junts on the debt forgiveness, Carles Puigdemont has clarified that he supports the proposal of the Ministry of Finance. "Juntos has always asked for the forgiveness of all the debt. That now a part is forgiven is better than that none is forgiven," the former president of the Generalitat has woven to X. The spokesperson of his party in the Parliament, Mònica Sales, had qualified this Tuesday the measure from "shirt lifting" because it was a "coffee for everyone" and did not guarantee a vote in favor.

Despite the endorsement of the partial forgiveness of the debt, the leader of Junts complains in his thread on X that the State assumes a 20% of Catalonia and almost 50% of AndalusiaThe fact is that Andalusia's debt is lower than Catalonia's and, therefore, the percentage of debt forgiveness is higher, but in absolute terms it is very similar - 17,104 million of Catalonia's debt and 18,791 million of Andalusia's. The Minister of Economy of the Generalitat, Alicia Romero, who has also regretted the "lack of respect and institutionality" of the PP's ministers, has highlighted that the measure would allow the Generalitat to save 1,550 million in interest.

The details will now be discussed in bilateral meetings with the communities and, among other issues, they will address what margin the autonomous communities would have to spend, go to the markets, or try to contain the deficit. The Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility, present in the CPFF, has already made a warning in this regard. On Friday in the bilateral commission of economic and fiscal affairs, Catalonia will already discuss these issues with the State. The Spanish government will then have to approve the draft bill in the Council of Ministers and then submit it to Congress. With Junts' vote closer, the PSOE will have to convince Compromís, which is calling for greater account to be taken of Valencia's underfunding.