Today’s latest news from the State of the Union Debate
Sánchez is confident of achieving “tangible” results on Catalonia and boasts of the highest investment execution in eleven years
MADRID, 13 (EUROPA PRESS)
The PDeCAT spokesman, Ferran Bel, warned the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, on Wednesday that the dialogue table on Catalonia “cannot be a slogan” and “needs results”, and considers that the new taxes announced on profits extraordinary banking and large energy companies “are more about marketing than reality”.
During his speech before the Debate on the State of the Nation, Bel has asked to wait “for the fine print”, recalling that the Executive estimated to collect 1,200 million with the Digital Services Tax and another 1,000 million with the so-called ‘Tobin Tax’ and which has barely raised 16% and 30% of what was expected, respectively.
Likewise, he regretted not being clear at this stage of the debate what measures the Government plans to combat inflation, not its effects. In his opinion, there is “a certain degree of improvisation and little coherence” in announcing the free services of Renfe’s Cercanías and Media Distancia, when just a few weeks ago a 50% discount has been approved.
IT CAN “ROT IN YOUR HANDS”
On the other hand, Bel has lamented that Sánchez has dedicated “ten seconds” of his entire speech to talking about the “political conflict” in Catalonia, on which he has demanded proposals. “Just because he doesn’t talk about the conflict doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist,” he said, recalling that, although he has supported the dialogue table from the beginning, and continues to do so, it “has met twice.”
“It can’t be a slogan, two photos in a year and a half. It needs results,” Bel snapped, comparing this dialogue to a fruit “that must ripen but, if not eaten at the right time, will rot in the hands.” “And someone speaks to him convinced that there are few alternatives,” she has said.
The PDeCAT spokesman has also urged the president to bring to the Chamber a proposal to reform the crime of sedition, and then check if there is a parliamentary majority for it, but also a new financing model, “expired since 2014”: “A What are we waiting for? For PP and Vox to come and make their model? We are going to regret it,” he anticipated.
Finally, it has criticized a budget execution in Catalonia far from the national average, and much more than that registered in the Community of Madrid, which in public companies remains at 27% of what was budgeted –compared to 48% of the national average and 103% in Madrid, without the bailout of the highways–, in Renfe’s investments it is 34%% –compared to the national average of 75%% and 229% in Madrid– and in high speed it is barely 4 % –37% national average and 105% in Madrid–.
SÁNCHEZ BOASTS LARGEST EXECUTION IN 11 YEARS
In his reply, the Prime Minister reiterated his willingness for the dialogue table to meet again “as soon as possible”, but wanted to value the agreement reached on the methodology in this space, with which he hopes to “advance results concrete” and “tangible”. “The position of the Government is to promote dialogue and that we begin to resolve this crisis together,” he said.
Likewise, it has justified that the execution of infrastructures “has decreased throughout Spain” due to the economic situation and the increase in the cost of raw materials, but that in any case the execution in Catalonia reaches 1,641 million euros, “the highest number of execution in eleven years”, only surpassed by the Community of Madrid, where investments of 1,711 million have been made.
With regard to railway investment, the president highlighted that the level of investment the year he came to the Government was 250 million and just two years later it stood at 800 million, a volume never before recorded, with 380 million of the Rodalies plan.
For this reason, he has rejected that any type of “offense” is taking place with Catalonia: “On the contrary, we are betting on the modernization and development of Catalonia”, he has assured, and faced with the demands for a new financing model, the The president has highlighted that the transfers to this community in the last four years have exceeded the resources received in the previous four by 37%.
PDeCAT REQUESTS “PURPOSE OF AMENDMENT” IF IT WANTS NEW PGE
Finally, Bel has made Sánchez ugly by placing Catalonia at similar levels of execution compared to Madrid when, according to data from the General State Intervention (IGAE), territorialized investment remains at 740 million compared to 2,086 million in the community of the capital of the country.
“And I’m not worried about what has been invested in Madrid, it’s that more than 2,000 million had been budgeted in Catalonia,” said Bel, who has asked the president to consider, when ‘bragging’ of 380 million investment in Rodalíes, that the entire Plan until 2025 foresees an investment of 2,900 million. “They haven’t invested even half,” he said.
For this reason, Bel has asked him for a “purpose of amendment” and to explore solutions and reverse this situation, especially if the Government aspires to approve new General State Budgets and intends to count on their votes to reissue its parliamentary majority.
685235.1.260.149.20220713094232
