LOGROÑO, June 13. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Minister of Finance of the Government of La Rioja, Alfonso Domínguez, has shown his “outright opposition”, just as “we will try to prevent” a bilateral agreement that “involves unique financing for Catalonia, because unique financing for Catalonia is a privilege for the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and therefore a detriment to all Rioja citizens”.
Domínguez has made these statements when asked about the statements of the first vice president and Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, who has considered that the “singular issues” that some autonomous communities such as Catalonia have “have to have special treatment” in terms of financing autonomous community, but insists on carrying out a negotiation with the rest of the autonomous communities to promote a model that is valid for all.
Domínguez has pointed out that “a singular financing for an autonomous community that allows up to 15,000 million euros to be transferred to a single autonomous community breaks two of the most basic constitutional principles to which the financing of the autonomous communities and life and services are subject.” publics of citizens which are the principles of equality and solidarity between all regions”
This, he added, “means transferring resources from less prosperous regions to more prosperous regions, such as in this case Catalonia.” In a context in which “the payments on account of the financing system have not yet been updated and the State has to transfer only 300 million euros to Rioja this year, we find ourselves with a privilege for an autonomous community.”
For the Minister of the Treasury “what we need is a new financing system for all the autonomous communities based on the principles of equality and interterritorial solidarity that allows us to have the same financing for public services in all parts of Spain.”
Domínguez has considered Montero’s statements “unacceptable”, insisting that “we are not going to allow” this bilaterality. “If steps continue to be taken forward from this circumstance, from this unique financing, we are already in contact with all the Treasury advisors of all the autonomous communities of various political parties and not only the Popular Party to see what type of joint actions we will carry out. “.
“Of course we have already requested that the conference of presidents be convened immediately, since the regional presidents and President Sánchez have to talk about financing that affects all Spaniards and not just bilateral negotiations,” he concluded, not without first demanding that “the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council be urgently convened and, if necessary, we will take more steps when the time comes.”
