Carles Puigdemont’s criticism of the Government
Carles Puigdemont, Junts per Catalunya candidate to assume the leadership of the Generalitat, has expressed his discontent towards the Spanish Socialist Workers Party and the Party of Socialists of Catalonia for the lack of State investment in Catalonia. Recently, Junts took a firm position against the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, rejecting the budget proposal that was proposed for the year 2025, which demonstrated its disagreement with the deficit path that was being discussed.
Puigdemont’s indignation
Through a publication on his social network, Puigdemont did not hesitate to ironize the position of the socialists, stating that they seem to believe that their propaganda against independence has been enough to keep public opinion at bay. In his words, ‘Catalans who identify with Spain must be aware that, for the Government, they and their families will always be considered second-class citizens compared to those in Madrid.’
The politician made it clear that ‘it is not the independence movement that is delaying progress in Catalonia, but the dependency itself that some parties promote.’ Faced with this situation, he demanded that the socialists clarify to their voters how it is possible that a citizen of towns such as l’Hospitalet, Cornellà, Reus or Tarragona is valued less than a voter of the Popular Party in Madrid.
Defending the rights of Catalonia
Furthermore, Carles Puigdemont was critical of the actions of the members of the Socialist Party in the Council of Ministers, questioning what interests they are really defending. According to him, it is evident that the interests of Catalans are not on their agenda, highlighting that not only do they not comply with the financial commitments assigned to Catalonia, but that the State allocates more funds to other regions than to Catalonia itself.
The responsibility of the Spanish Government
“As long as we have the authority to decide on economic policies and investments that are our responsibility, we will use those resources to protect the interests of all Catalans,” Puigdemont added, stressing the need for respect from the State towards Catalonia instead of the continued cuts coming from Madrid.
The position of Together in Parliament
Junts per Catalunya opposed the budget stability objectives proposed by the Government. Josep Maria Cruset, Junts deputy, stated that ‘we are facing an Executive that does not understand that it does not have an absolute majority and that requires the collaboration of other groups, including the seven Junts votes, to advance its legislative initiatives.’
The deficit that harms Catalonia
The reason behind the independence supporters’ rejection of the government proposal is based on the deficits in the execution of the budgets, which directly impacts Catalonia. According to Junts, the data shows that only 45% of the budget allocated for this year in Catalonia has been executed, against surprisingly higher figures in communities such as Madrid (212%) and Murcia (218%).
This imbalance is notable, since, according to Cruset, Catalonia has the lowest execution percentage compared to other regions of the State, despite being one of the regions that contributes the most to the national budget. Puigdemont’s indignation is reflected in his judgment of the situation: he describes it as ‘immoral’ that the execution in Madrid exceeds the execution in Catalonia by five times.
