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The seventh Conference of Presidents on the coronavirus served to begin shaping the de-escalation, which will initially be carried out by province and by sector, based on a series of health parameters. But it also served to confirm the cooling of the Government's economic relations with the autonomous communities, which are bearing significant additional spending to cope with the coronavirus pandemic.

Several regional presidents, both from the PP and the PSOE, asked Pedro Sánchez for an additional effort in aid and liquidity. They do not want the government to continue to advance the funds that are already due to them, as advances. Rather, it will inject them with new financial aid to alleviate the financial effort they are making to pay the virus bill.

In this sense, there were three regional presidents who came up with a very specific proposal: «An extraordinary non-reimbursable fund», and «additional» to the liquidity already announced by the Government. They were those of Castilla y León, Murcia and Andalusia : Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, Fernando López Miras and Juanma Moreno, respectively. What these popular barons demanded of the president is that he give the communities the same thing that he asks of the European Union .

The government has raised a European reconstruction fund of at least a trillion euros, financed by perpetual debt backed by the ECB and whose interests can be paid later.

Sánchez, however, did not accept the equivalent proposal made by regional leaders. On the contrary, the autonomies complain that the promised additional liquidity is barely reaching them and, in addition, the Executive has "confiscated" more than 1,250 million euros in funds for active employment policies.

The President of Aragon , Javier Lambán (PSOE), demanded that "a good part" of the European funds be directed to the communities. "We are running out of the treasury absolutely empty because of the attention to the health crisis and we are going to have to go into debt and need financial aid," he stressed. "We have the impression that the liquidity is not coming fast enough," he criticized.

Castilian-Leonese Fernández Mañueco was the one who said it most clearly in the videoconference, according to the sources consulted: "What we ask Mr. Sánchez is the same as what he asks the European Union." The popular baron later elaborated on the idea: «We have asked the Prime Minister for a non-reimbursable fund. What is a non-refundable fund? Well, the Government of Spain asks Europe: more after transfers, more resources. It does not ask for more credits nor does it ask for advances. Well, that is what the autonomous communities ask the Government of Spain ». "They are extraordinary funds to finance those extraordinary expenses that we are having in health, education, social services, in promoting employment and work," he said.

The President of the Andalusian Government, Juanma Moreno, went directly to the Prime Minister and rebuked him: "You have promised extra funds and here a penny of extra funds has not arrived." That is why he demanded the "additional non-reimbursable fund" and, in addition, he again demanded a mutualization of the public debt, in the manner of the "coronabonos".

Health contingency

In a document sent to the autonomous regions before the meeting, to which this newspaper agreed, the Government acknowledges that of the 1,400 million of the health contingency fund, only 300 have been allocated to the regions. «And of those 300, not a penny to Andalusia », insist the Board. Castilla and León have received 46 million extra liquidity (17 for health and 19 for social services). "But 80 have withdrawn us for active employment policies, so the balance is negative by 44 million euros," say sources in the Board.

The president of the Region of Murcia, Fernando López Miras, said the same as Moreno and Mañueco, in other words. All of them, like some socialist barons, agreed to demand a relaxation of the rules of budgetary stability, and more air when it comes to meeting deficit targets.

The socialist Ximo Puig, president of the Valencian Community , demanded that the European regions and the autonomous communities have "a direct participation" in relation to the resources of the European fund that Sánchez requests. "It is more Europe or more misery," he said. The President of the Community of Madrid , Isabel Díaz Ayuso, also demanded - like Moreno, Mañueco and López Miras - that the autonomous regions participate in the "management of European funds" that Spain receives to fight the virus.

Isabel Ayuso agreed with several of the presidents, such as Alberto Núñez Feijóo (Galicia) or Emiliano García-Page ( Castilla-La Mancha ), to demand the convocation of the Council for Fiscal and Financial Policy (CPFF). Andalusia asked that the Council meet "at least once a month until December." Page linked the CPFF to "Europe's final decision, around June 1". Then, he requested, it should "be brought together in a systematic and periodic manner."

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  • Europe
  • Fernando López Miras
  • Andalusia
  • Spain
  • Castilla y León
  • Pedro Sánchez
  • European Union
  • Murcia
  • PP
  • Ximo Puig
  • Castilla la Mancha
  • Alberto Núñez Feijoo
  • Alfonso Fernández Mañueco
  • Aragon
  • Valencian Community
  • Madrid's community
  • Emiliano García-Page
  • Galicia
  • Isabel Díaz Ayuso
  • Coronavirus
  • Covid 19

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