Strong Criticism of Government Measures by Carine Montaner
Andorra la Vella. In a political scenario marked by tensions, the opposition councilor, Carine Montaner, has issued severe criticism of the recent actions of the Government of Andorra in response to the housing crisis, denouncing the breakdown of constructive dialogue with the opposition and the implementation of a measure that she considers typical of interventionist regimes: the temporary expropriation of empty properties.
During the session of the General Consell, an emerging tension could be observed between Andorra Futura and the PS with the Government leaving the council’s housing work table after the presentation of the bill last week. The Head of Government, Xavier Espot, defends that these measures were being worked on together and that they initially wanted to present them to make the axes of the text known.
The councilor of Andorra Futura, in one of her interventions, reproaches the Government for the fact that there were more flexible measures (taxing empty apartments to encourage renting and fiscally helping owners) that have not been promoted despite the consensus, and affirms that this interventionism has ‘a boomerang effect’ and that the market will respond negatively to the proposal.
‘You don’t have to be a phoenix in economics to understand that excessive interventionism has a boomerang effect,’ declared Montaner.
‘A Legal Thriller’
Andorra Futura has expressed its concern about the country’s lack of preparation to assume the European guidelines, especially in the midst of the precarious situation of public entities, as recently evidenced with the CASS scandal. This raises questions about the Government’s coherence in its long-term management and whether it really has a country model or a clear geopolitical reading, leaving aside the historical neutrality of Andorra.
The councilor has questioned the effectiveness of the Government’s interventionist measures to resolve the housing crisis, warning that sudden decisions can have perverse and disastrous effects. In the midst of this legal uncertainty and political changes, Montaner has compared the situation to a legal ‘thriller’ that generates anguish among citizens.
With these statements, the opposition councilor has highlighted concern about the direction that the country’s governance is taking and has called for more responsible and transparent management to guarantee the well-being of citizens without generating more uncertainties or tensions in the society.
