The adjusted population has historically been one of the most controversial elements in the negotiations for a new model of regional financing under the common system, which is the one that provides resources to the autonomous communities. And it remains so in the ongoing discussion between the Ministry of Finance, ERC, and the PSC (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party) to finalize a proposed model that satisfies all parties and responds to the agreement between Republicans and Socialists for a unique system for Catalonia, as well as to the agreement of the last Generalitat-State Bilateral Commission.

Last Tuesday, the INE published the first estimates on the macroeconomic figures of the autonomous communities corresponding to the year 2024. The following day's ARA devoted two pieces: theeditorial (from which I took the title of this article) and another in the Economics section. The first, quite rightly, emphasized that GDP growth—which measures the size of the economy—is not as important as GDP per capita growth—which divides GDP by the population and therefore measures material prosperity. In plain language: GDP is how much we all produce; GDP per capita, how much we touch. Obviously, the important thing is the latter.

In July, the autonomous communities used to meet face-to-face with the Ministry of Finance. This month has always been a regular meeting of the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council (CPFF), the conclave that brings together the ministry and the regional ministers of the same rank. At the meeting, the Treasury announced the resources that the autonomous communities under the common system would have available the following year to prepare their budgets: the so-called advance payments or advances. Liquidity was also reported.

The Spanish government hopes to begin distributing asylum-seeking migrant children currently in the Canary Islands among the autonomous communities by the end of August. This is the intention of the Ministry of Youth and Children despite the boycott by the territories governed by the People's Party (PP), which did not attend the children's sector conference this Wednesday where the distribution was to be directed. Except for the autonomous city of Ceuta, no PP government attended this Wednesday's conference in Madrid. The regions that did participate in the meeting were Catalonia, the Basque Country, Navarre, Asturias, the Canary Islands, and Castilla-La Mancha.

The autonomous communities and local governments will have record resources to prepare their 2026 budgets. This Tuesday's Council of Ministers updated the advance payments for both administrations, as announced by First Vice President and Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, in an interview with RNE on Monday morning. Alegría, at a press conference this Tuesday.

The Spanish government's budget execution in Catalonia fell short again in 2021. Last year, Catalonia received 35% of the budgeted investment by regions. In total, Catalonia received €739.8m, according to data published on Monday by the Ministry of Finance. The figure, therefore, is far from the investment included in the State's general budget, which totalled €2.1bn (according to the most recently updated data from the Treasury). This translated into a per capita investment of €270, which has now been reduced to one third. Thus, Catalonia once again receives less money than promised. Moreover, of the total investment which can be attributed to specific regions, Catalonia received only 9%, a figure which is far below its weight in the Spanish GDP.

The numbers of European remittances that are due to arrive in Spain are becoming clearer as the days go by. This Friday, the president of the government, Pedro Sánchez, has confirmed that he will distribute 10,500 million in European funds among the autonomous communities before the end of the year, that is, half of the total 19,034 million that the government plans to receive this 2021, as confirmed by the Moncloa. In fact, this was the commitment that Sánchez made to the conference of presidents in October last year with the regional governments and which he confirmed yesterday, Friday. From this Monday on, the Spanish government will begin to study with the communities how it will distribute this money. A debate that is not easy because it is closely linked to the projects promoted by each community and, therefore, must go hand in hand with the technical criteria agreed by the member states when it comes to funding initiatives.

The Ministry of Health has given in. It renounces to impose mandatory measures and will finally give freedom to the communities to establish measures to decide on nightlife. After autonomous governments led by Madrid and Euskadi voted against the government's plan, rebelled against the impositions -Madrid has even filed an appeal before the National Court- and announced that they would implement their own roadmap, the Spanish government has accepted that its measures to reopen nightclubs and celebrate large crowded events are only recommendations. As for the hospitality industry, Health finally will not make any recommendations and leaves everything in the hands of regional governments.