Jorge Pueyo (Chunta Aragonesista): "The new funding is an insult to the people of Aragon and an insult to intelligence."

MadridJorge Pueyo Sanz (Fuentes, 1995) receives ARA in his office at the Congress of Deputies on one of his last days in the lower house. After two years in the Sumar parliamentary group, he is leaving Madrid to lead the Chunta Aragonesista candidacy in the February 8 elections in Aragon. He still regrets not having passed a national budget, celebrates the warm reception he's receiving in the streets these days—unseen since the days of José Antonio Labordeta—presents himself as a disciple of Gabriel Rufián in public speaking, and acknowledges that, with elections not coinciding with any other region, his "dream" has come true.

What are the Chunta Aragonesista's expectations for these elections?

— Good afternoon. Beyond the upward trend in the polls, the feeling on the street is very positive. You can see a lot of nervousness in other parties. I think the momentum we have is very positive; we've been setting the political agenda very well in Madrid.

What could have been done differently to make Sumar work better in Congress?

— I think the operating method was flawed at first. Over time, it has improved, and the concept of plurinationality has become better understood. Now everything runs more smoothly. But above all, the problem is that, on many occasions, decisions weren't made by the groups themselves.

What has disappointed you most about these two years in Congress?

— A Socialist Party that hasn't defended Aragon when it's had the chance. And the cowardice regarding housing, for example. When Sánchez's Socialist Party isn't ashamed, the entire progressive majority is. This largely explains the disappointment and disillusionment that exists. Congress is a meat grinder for people who come with high hopes, eager to change things. I've seen many members of parliament cry.

In July voted against the anti-blackout decree breaking party discipline in voting. At one point, the idea of ​​joining the mixed group was considered, as they did. Can and Águeda Micó?

— Personally, at certain times, yes. But I've had very good advisors who have told me, "Keep the youth in check, sit down, we'll negotiate." And we've achieved things.

The electoral program proposes creating a regional police force and assuming new powers. Is Aragon prepared? How would it be financed?

— What we're finding in Aragon is that Madrid doesn't understand us. The central government provides all services from a national perspective, and this leaves Aragon like a Swiss cheese of black holes where services are nonexistent. They say it's a poor land, but it's actually very rich in resources. What's happening is that they're being plundered from us for the benefit of electricity companies that are listed on Madrid stock exchanges.

You demand a regional tax system and advocate for a special economic agreement. Why does Aragon have the right to this, but you oppose Catalonia's special funding?

— This is precisely what we are asking for. If the organic law governing the financing of the autonomous communities needs to be changed, then let's do it. We are simply asking for equality.

They demand bilateralism. If Aragon were to gain something through bilateralism, wouldn't equality also be undermined?

— The problem is that equality breaks down when the principle of solidarity is eliminated and the principle of ordinality is applied in Catalonia. The aim is to consolidate funding for certain regions where it has already been significantly boosted. What we're saying is that it's not fair. Every year, the Aragonese government is going into debt by between 600 and 722 million euros to pay for services. What good funding should do is take into account the criteria we have established in the Statute of Autonomy, which are depopulation, population dispersion, topography, and aging.

If the underfunding suffered by Aragon is between 600 and 700 million euros, why does Chunta not look favorably upon a new financing system that would provide 630 million euros?

— Because it's the trap that [María Jesús] Montero wants all the autonomous communities to fall into. Why does [Adrián] Barbón [president of Asturias] reject it? Why does Castilla-La Mancha reject it? And they fare much better than Aragón. Do we all win? You get crumbs, but the underfunding continues. It's just a handout, a mere token gesture, for something nobody likes.

This is somewhat what Jorge Azcón, president of Aragon and PP candidate, says.

— The thing is, the People's Party has borrowed a lot of ideas from the Aragonese Union (Chunta Aragonesista). Just the other day, Azcón came out saying that Congress had approved 87 million euros for Aragon, but it was a proposal from the Aragonese Union. It's all well and good to adopt the Union's debate and rhetoric, but it needs to be implemented and put into practice. And the Socialist Party has just done a complete about-face from what it's been doing for some time. This is an insult to the people of Aragon, and above all, it's an insult to intelligence.

Are they somewhat envious of the results of the negotiations between ERC and the Spanish government?

— I don't like the agreement between the PSC and Esquerra. And what I want for Aragon is something else entirely: the Foral Treasury. And I don't have it because the Constitutional Court struck down our law updating Aragon's historical rights in 2019. If this had happened in any other region, they'd still be burning down the streets. We were declaring ourselves a historical nationality with a foral system. Because of the will of some judges, the will of the Aragonese people is being ignored.

Can It is now open to unlocking. The delegation of powers regarding immigration in Catalonia. Chunta also nayIs there any room for negotiation with you?

— No. Not if it still has those racist connotations that Junts introduced with deeply xenophobic biases. The problem with all of this is that racism is like a 20-gauge: if you open the door, it's very difficult to close it again. It's very dangerous.

What do you think of the ruling on the Sijena murals of the MNAC, the efforts being made by the Government of Aragon to recover them and what the Generalitat is doing to preserve them in the MNAC so they don't get damaged?

— What Mr. Azcón is doing is what any Aragonese should do: defend the fact that the artifacts belong to Aragon. There's no other option. It's like if the British Museum asked him, "Can you return those Egyptian artifacts you have?" and he said, "No, they're mine." It doesn't work that way. There has been looting. Refusing to comply with a court ruling makes no sense.