The Popular Party takes a step further in its fight for regional funding by formalizing one of the requests included in the declaration “Spain Among All” on Monday. In this document, signed at a summit of regional leaders in Madrid, the PP requests that the government transfer 18.000 million euros from the EU Next Generation funds to the autonomous communities. The request will be sent to the government by the party’s Deputy Secretary of Economy, Juan Bravo, in a letter addressed to the First Vice President and Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero. The party’s leadership sarcastically stated that they will be awaiting her response and are open to explaining the request to Montero with the same interest as if it came from ERC or Junts.
The transfer request of 18.000 million euros from European funds is the main novelty of the document signed on Friday, where the PP showed its unity around Núñez Feijóo. The party leader demanded that the government immediately make available 18.000 million euros from the Next Generation funds that have not been executed. These funds are committed to specific purposes with Brussels, but sources from the party’s executive argue that regional governments led by the PP could align their budgets to meet the objectives.
Amid record levels of transfers to regions in Spain, the move by Feijóo’s party comes at a time when total funding increased by 18.200 million euros in 2022 compared to 2021, reaching a never-before-seen level of 149.530 million to distribute. Meanwhile, regional governments led by the PP have continued their strategy of reducing taxes. Feijóo emphasized the fiscal autonomy of each region in taxes during a forum held at the Palacete de los Duques de Pastrana. However, tensions arose when Pedro Sánchez accused some of demanding funds while giving tax breaks to the wealthy during a PSOE committee meeting.
In the midst of talks about regional funding, the President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, attracted attention by not confirming whether she will accept the institutional invitation from the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, to meet with regional leaders. At the summit of regional leaders, journalists were not allowed to ask questions, but later Ayuso mentioned on La Sexta that she has not yet decided and that one condition for meeting with the President could be to exclude discussions on regional funding from the agenda. Nevertheless, she may reconsider her stance after Núñez Feijóo expressed in an interview that refusing to go to the Moncloa Palace could be a mistake.
In conclusion, the Popular Party’s request for the transfer of 18.000 million euros from EU funds to the autonomous communities is a significant step in their fight for regional funding. The tensions between the party and the government regarding regional finances continue to escalate, with disagreements on tax policies and investment decisions. The actions and statements of regional leaders like Núñez Feijóo and Díaz Ayuso play a crucial role in shaping the political landscape and influencing future negotiations on this contentious issue.
