A Meeting at Fitur Unleashes Diverse Interpretations
A brief meeting between four regional presidents during the inauguration of the International Tourism Fair (Fitur) has unleashed various interpretations of its conclusions.
The Castilian-Manchego president Emiliano García-Page of the PSOE met with Carlos Mazón, Fernando López Miras, and Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, the latter three from the PP.
Divergent Visions on Regional Financing
While Carlos Mazón assures that they established a ‘joint line of work’, García-Page does not confirm this. According to a report by the Foundation for Applied Economic Studies (Fedea), they found that Castilla-La Mancha, Comunitat Valenciana, Murcia and Andalusia are the four most ‘underfinanced’ autonomous communities in the country.
The Valencian president speaks of the ‘Fitur plot’, proposing the need for a leveling fund until the new regional financing system is approved.
Juanma Moreno Bonilla mentions a ‘small informal summit’, highlighting a ‘pending invoice’ from the Government of Pedro Sánchez for regional ‘underfinancing’. The four of them will collaborate to solve this problem.
Page Advocates for Adjusting Pending Accounts
García-Page refers to the meeting as ‘brief’ and highlights the need to settle pending scores with the ‘objectively harmed’ communities. He insists that ‘underfunding’ must be compensated fairly.
Esther Padilla, spokesperson for the Government of Castilla-La Mancha, rejects a common front, highlighting that the communities have ‘completely opposite interests’ regarding the new financing model.
Divergences on ‘Common Fronts’ with the PP
Talking about ‘common fronts’ with the PP becomes thorny in Castilla-La Mancha. The leader of the PP, Paco Núñez, asks García-Page to join the communities governed by the PP, something that the PSOE criticizes due to differences in requests.
Esther Padilla clarifies that they will not align with the PP, since they defend a model contrary to the interests of Castilla-La Mancha.