A Debate Without Concrete Results
Recently, Congress was the scene of an intense four-hour debate on a funding agreement between the PSOE and ERC. Despite the effort, at the end of the session, uncertainty remained the protagonist. The information that has been shared is limited, with the only perspective offered by ERC, which states that Catalonia will have the capacity to collect, manage and settle its own taxes.
The Ambiguities of a Fiscal Pact
What could seem like an ‘Economic Concert’ in the style of the Basque Country or Navarre, is presented as a proposal with numerous questions. Catalonia does not have the authority to establish the cost of state services, and there is no fixed ‘quota’, which places the agreement in an indefinite space, similar to a ‘Fiscal Pact’ lacking the necessary guarantees.
The Record of Failed Pacts
The precedent of the fiscal pact that Artur Mas tried to establish with Mariano Rajoy, which led to the pro-independence process, is a memory that persists. If the current agreement does not materialize, it could end up being a mere symbolic exercise, with no real contributions for Catalonia. The possibility of not fulfilling the commitments is high, as has happened on previous occasions.
A Context of Broken Promises
The Government of Pedro Sánchez should have provided a clear vision on the legal aspects and the implementation process of the agreement. However, the current information is confusing, which raises suspicions about its real validity. If ERC knows the details and decides to hide them, we would be facing a lack of respect for the public.
Democratic Quality in Danger
This lack of transparency contributes to an alarming deterioration in democratic quality in Spain, where political agreements seem designed more to confuse than to inform. At a time when the pacts with the Sánchez government remain on wet paper, the situation becomes even more critical.
Future Expectations
Currently, some of the commitments that Sánchez acquired with ERC to ensure their support during the investiture are only beginning to materialize. The famous ‘dialogue table’, which was so promoted, has proven to be ineffective, leaving Catalonia with little more than empty promises.
A Complex Political Scenario
With the Catalan deputies in Congress showing their limitations and the difficulties in making progress on crucial issues, the political hegemony of the socialists in Catalonia and the collapse of the ERC pose a complicated scenario. Now, when they have the ability to influence the Spanish governments, the need for a more effective and clear approach in the negotiations becomes evident.
