The arithmetic in Congress is what makes the opportunity "historic" for Catalonia. Pere Aragonès is convinced of this and to make the most of it, he met this afternoon with the Government in an extraordinary manner to develop measures that guarantee compliance with these ERC demands. The amnesty is the flag of the pacts. They accompany the transfer of Rodalies and the forgiveness of 15,000 million euros of debt. But it is in this last aspect where the most notable measure is found: the president has commissioned Natàlia Mas, Minister of Economy, to prepare a unique and specific financing proposal for Catalonia.
It has a three-month deadline. Then the Catalan Executive intends to bring this project to the dialogue table between the Spanish and Catalan governments.
The proposal, as explained, will be based on the idea that Catalonia collects all its own taxes "to end the fiscal deficit, which Economia estimated at 22,000 million euros in 2021 alone. But it must also propose mechanisms to ensure compliance of the investments committed by the State to Catalonia.
Aragonès wants the Generalitat to assume all tax management, from collection to inspection. He also wants the Government to have the capacity to regulate taxes to adapt the system to the needs of Catalan citizens. And, obviously, that the State transfers the return on all taxes collected in Catalonia.
Mas's task does not end here. He must also work on a second front: that of the execution of State investments in Catalonia. At this point, the councilor must create another mechanism, this time for her to determine which investments are included each year in the general budgets of the State and develop tools to guarantee that they become effective. And if they are not executed, look for compensation formulas.
Natàlia Mas is not the only one who has come out with homework from the extraordinary meeting of the Government. Gemma Ubasart, Minister of Justice, is in charge of observing and overseeing the processing of the amnesty law. A rule that for Esquerra is essential to be approved.
Also the Presidency departments - headed by Laura Vilagrà - and Territori departments - headed by Ester Capella - have come out with a task: to ensure the correct transfer of Rodalies. The Government has created a commissioner for the comprehensive transfer of the Rodalies train service. Pere Macias, former CiU councilor and until five years ago coordinator of the Rodalies 2020-2030 plan, will be in charge of coordinating the "comprehensive" and progressive transfer of the Rodalies service. Macias' task includes ensuring the transfer of trains, part of the infrastructure and all personnel, with the creation of a joint State-Generalitat company as the new directing body.
"We are entering a new stage", Aragonès has emphasized several times during his appearance before all the general secretaries of the Government, sectorial secretaries and the press. To make it clear that Catalan politics is entering this new stage after the investiture of Pedro Sánchez and the agreements on amnesty, communities and financing, the Government has even changed the slogan it displayed since December 2022, "Always forward", poco después of the break with Junts, for "Let's go" or "Let's go for work" ("No perdamos el tiempo").
"We are beginning a new stage in which what was said to be impossible is beginning to become a reality," the Republican has claimed. The amnesty is being processed, he recalled, but the objective is to establish, in the next four years, the bases for an agreed referendum on self-determination. However, Aragonès has warned Sánchez: "The agreements we are implementing are ambitious and, therefore, their compliance will determine the continuity of the legislature in the Congress of Deputies."
It is going to be complicated, given the pro-independence pressure, for the PSOE Government and Sumar to accept a change in financing like the one the Catalan Executive intends. The PSOE has already expressed itself on the matter and has made it clear that it is not going to compromise in this regard. Junts also calls for a new financing model. Aragonès has reached out to the post-convergents to work together, but so far those of Jordi Turull and Laura Borràs have ignored her.
