The Federation of Empty Spain has criticized the agreement reached between the PSC and ERC to guarantee the investiture of socialist Salvador Illa in exchange for a special funding system for Catalonia. The agreement, approved by the PSOE and the government of Pedro Sánchez, includes an economic concert for Catalonia similar to the Basque and Navarre models, which Empty Spain considers a threat to the sustainability of the State. This would mean economically boosting an already prosperous region, Catalonia, at the expense of reducing funds available for the rest of the country. The federation points out that thousands of inhabitants of interior regions of Spain migrated to Catalonia and other autonomous communities decades ago to work and contribute to its demographic growth, while their places of origin lost active population.
The parties forming the Empty Spain Federation, such as Soria Ya!, Teruel Exists, Empty Spain, Aragon Exists, and Cuenca Now, label the agreement between socialists and separatists as “unacceptable” and view it as an attack on regional cohesion. They argue that the State has only been useful for the development of a few territories and now those regions, once wealthy, are unwilling to contribute to others having the same opportunities. The new fiscal status outlined in the investiture pact for Catalonia is seen as breaking the constitutional principles of solidarity among regions and equality for all Spaniards, as it does not even adhere to federal models of taxation. The agreement is deemed harmful to the Empty Spain regions primarily.
According to the parties involved, the PSOE’s concession to ERC is seen as a result of “blackmail and imposition,” resembling a hidden Basque economic concert without social and political foundations. Catalonia is compared to a “brother” by the Empty Spain groups, who feel overlooked by those they helped prosper once the brother is successful. The parties mobilized due to demographic crises have seen a decrease in influence after recent regional and national elections. Teruel Exists had a significant congressman in 2019 but lost it in 2023, and Soria Ya! entered Castilla y León with three representatives in the Cortes. However, they were unable to secure a national representative in the 2023 general elections, leading to a decrease in votes and a loss of political influence.
The spokesperson for Soria Ya! criticizes the agreement between the PSC and ERC for being harsh on underfinanced territories and violating the principle of a single treasury. He highlights the disparity in population density between Catalonia and regions like Soria, as well as the high cost of providing services in less populated areas. The lack of consideration for these factors in the agreement is seen as unjust by the parties representing the Empty Spain regions, who feel left behind. The ex-national deputy, now Aragonese parliamentarian with Aragon Exists, also expresses disappointment in the agreement, stating that it goes against the idea of a uniform taxation system to promote territorial balance. He sees the agreement as an assault on territorial cohesion and a result of political pressure on the PSOE.
Overall, the agreement between the PSC and ERC for the investiture of Salvador Illa in exchange for a special funding system for Catalonia has sparked outrage among the Empty Spain Federation and its member parties. They view the agreement as detrimental to the less prosperous regions of Spain, emphasizing the lack of solidarity and equality it represents. The parties feel overlooked and disadvantaged by the prioritization of Catalonia’s economic interests and the failure to consider the unique challenges faced by regions with low population density. The fallout from the agreement has resulted in a sense of betrayal and disappointment among the political groups advocating for fair treatment of the Empty Spain regions.
