"Where the PSOE is not, is at the concert", the party's spokeswoman, Esther Peña, said this Monday. Almost all the questions that were asked of the Spanish Socialist spokesperson at the usual party press conference this Monday revolved around the unique financing system for Catalonia, the day after an interview was published in which prime minister Pedro Sánchez acknowledged that this matter could be worked on in parallel with a multilateral agreement with the rest of the autonomous communities. In fact, in her appearance she reiterated that all the territories of the Spanish state have their own singularities. Yes, the spokesperson for the PSOE gave a clue as to the idea that is going through the mind of the Spanish PM: "It is undeniable that anyone who has more transfers has more financial means". Sources from the party's leadership, without going into specifics, recalled that Catalonia has competencies over police powers and penitentiary institutions. But in no case would there be talk of the Generalitat of Catalonia taking a step forward to the collection and management of its own funding, as happens in the Basque Country.
Esther Peña, PSOE spokesperson: "The Socialist Party is going to comply with its election promises - [the financing system] has to be sufficient for all the Autonomous Communities, it has to be just and based on solidarity. And from there we are not going to move."
Thus, Peña reiterated in this press conference that the PSOE had presented itself in the general elections of 23rd July, 2023 with "the electoral promise of reforming the financing system for all the autonomous communities" and "it is compatible to do so in the multilateral plan and at the same time articulate a unique financing system for a territory like Catalonia". Thus, the Socialist spokesperson seals the idea that, under this proposal, Catalonia would continue to be in the common regime. "Equality will be guaranteed between Spanish citizens", she stressed, noting that "there are singularities in all territories".
The spokesperson for the PSOE also responded to Carles Puigdemont, after he published a tweet this Monday in which he referred to Pedro Sánchez's statements on Catalan funding as a "scandal" and accused the Socialist leader of "blackmailing" Catalans. The next Spanish government budget must speak very clearly if they want to obtain our support; and we have already warned what the conditions were", warned the Catalan president in exile in his message. This Monday, the Socialist spokesperson reminded him that "the legislature is in operation". And she added that "his words have the same credibility as when he said that if he did not win the elections he would retire". One small note, however: the leader of Together for Catalonia (Junts) did not refer to losing the elections, but to failing to be re-elected president.
On the other hand, when Peña was asked if the Socialists are confident of reaching an accord with Junts and the Catalan Republican Left (ERC) on the next Spanish budget, the answer was affirmative. She insisted that Congress "is functioning", with the chamber having approved decree laws promoted by the Pedro Sánchez executive. "We continue talking", she said.
"Where the PSOE is not, is in the concert proposed by Feijóo"
The first time that Peña was asked about the idea of setting up a unique financing system for Catalonia, she responded by defending herself with news clippings. She noted that the former People's Party (PP) leader in Catalonia, Alicia Sánchez-Camacho, defended years ago that Catalonia should have a "singular" funding system, and she also referred to statements made by Alberto Núñez Feijóo in November 2016 at a conference organized by the Cercle d'Economia de Barcelona, in which the current PP leader, at that time president of Galicia, pointed out that "it is not easy to explain that Catalonia does not have an economic concert when the Basques and Navarrese have it; these things can be changed, raised and discussed". "Where the PSOE is not, is in the concert proposed by Feijóo," said the spokesperson for the Socialists this Monday.