Why would I vote no if I'm a hardliner?

07/30/2024 – 19:50

Update: 07/30/2024 – 19:51

The Socialists have signed the preliminary agreement with the European Council for Reform, in which they concede a series of points in the field of financing, which surprise the observer of everything that has been said in recent days. And now they are offering the militants an approach on a silver platter that practically does not touch what was requested in the unique financing offered by the Republicans, who described it as “maximum”. As in a game of chess, they have placed a pawn on the seventh row, about to be crowned, but it will not become a master until Mr. Illa takes power in the presidency of the state.

That is why the silence of the Socialist ranks is absolute, they do not want to say anything until they get what they want. It is true that the usual dissidents, like Mr. Emiliano García Beig (President of Castilla-La Mancha) and Javier Lamban (former President of Aragon), have already cried out to heaven for the alleged betrayal of the equality of the Spanish peoples that they are doing in Barcelona and Madrid, and everything to put a president in the Community. Perhaps they do not want to see that this is a Community, and it must be said that it is the most precious for the leadership of the party: Catalonia.

But, by reading the advance agreement carefully, you realize that the most important things are those that are not said and that will emerge once the inauguration process is over or in the months allotted for the document they signed to implement what they promised. I still believe that what is stated in the advance agreement will never be given. Because there will be a series of difficult obstacles to overcome. Obstacles that are not materialized, and that in some cases appear to be an easy target to reach, so that anyone who reads it quickly can think that a giant step has been taken toward a fundamental improvement in finance.

Specifically, I am thinking of three cases. The first is the collection of taxes. A deadline has been set for their collection, little by little, starting with the personal income tax of 2026. Here it is necessary to think that it is necessary to touch on laws that are no less important than the LOFCA for Spain. And this must be done in Congress in Madrid. In addition, in order to implement the new unique financing system for Catalonia, it will be necessary to formalize the agreement during the first half of 2025 in the bilateral commission between the Government of the Generalitat and the Government of the Spanish State regarding the financing model. And those who will defend the improvements in Catalonia will be people from the Political and Social Council, which is subject to the orders of the party in Madrid. Does anyone think that this will be done, while the Scientific Council of the Planetarium was not like this before? Let us remember, if nothing else, their role during the process and the 155. That is why I think that what is required of the ERC fighters is an act of faith, to believe that yes, and that this time they will do what they said. as always…

The first vice-president of the parliament and spokesperson for the Revolutionary Council, Raquel Sanz, said a few days ago that she understood the skepticism of many militants, after Madrid’s successive deceptions in Catalonia. And he was right. I wonder why it should be different now. Spain needs the money it “raises” through the complex redistribution of Catalan funds to keep a series of communities running. The famous 20,000 million, will they give it to us now? And what will they gain in return if they actually get the presidency of the state?

Last week we continued to see how Chancellor Mas explained that in 2022 we were the third community in contributing to the Spanish State and ended up being the fourteenth when it came to receiving funding per capita. This is a fact that happens year after year. He also explained that in 2023, Catalonia was one of the communities most affected by the implementation of Spanish State investments, given that only 45% of budget money arrived, while Madrid far exceeded the initial budget and received 2.5 times more money than Catalonia. And that too year after year. How many times has this been said? How many have been protested? And here everyone has registered, both public and private. But it has never been fixed, because they simply do not want it to be that way. Will it be different now because of the prior agreement?

They have been lifting our shirts since time immemorial and that does not change for the signature or for the thousand promises they have made to us for a long time. Mrs. Sans also said, in favor of the prior agreement: “Independence is easier when you have the key to the box than when you do not have it. And the radicals can appreciate that positively.” But what key is he talking about? The key is in the hands of whoever decides at the last minute, and I have not read anything about that. Up until now it has always been in the hands of the Spanish State, in all the steps that have been taken. Yes, in the recent Rodalia trains, which are now also an example to follow.

There is one factor that has not been mentioned and that I think is very important. It is clear that the current Catalan tax agency cannot handle such a large volume of collections and it will be necessary to increase its staff considerably. Perhaps people should be brought in from the tax inspectorate in Madrid. How many people want to come to Barcelona? Few, very few. Perhaps we should remember that when the Catalan tax union was to be created, the Supreme Court ruling of 2015 annulled the transfer of treasury officials to the Catalan administration.

There is still so much to be done that I seriously doubt that the Socialists are willing to deliver what they are promising now. Not long ago, at the inauguration of President Pedro Sánchez, they obtained the forgiveness of $15 billion of Catalonia’s debt to the Spanish state. After the usual uproar in the Spanish media, things calmed down and no one talked about it anymore. Even after being assured that the other communities would also be forgiven. Looking back, all we find is a series of broken promises after they got what they wanted.

We have been on the promenade for many years. Now it seems that another opportunity has been put before us. I do not believe it, there are already so many lies and so many years of enduring. But in this case what we are playing is very important: giving the presidency of the state to someone who has shown absolutely nothing to make Catalonia where it should be. The words of someone who knows very well how the Socialists spend them, after having fallen into the trap in the battle of Barcelona, are very appropriate. Javier Trias warned against trusting Salvador Illa: “His face is very good, his gestures are very good, but he will always stab you in the back.” Let it not happen again… The word to the Red Crescent fighters on Friday.