“This is an endpoint.” The ministers of the twelve autonomous communities, governed by the PP (People’s Party) or sharing power with them, have decided to walk out on the Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, during a crucial meeting. This dramatic turn of events unfolded at the Fiscal and financial council meeting, held this Wednesday. The objective of the meeting was to discuss a document concerning the forgiveness of the negotiated autonomous debt between the Government of Spain and ERC.

The proposal, unveiled on Monday, had already sparked significant controversy and was presented without prior consultation with regional governments. When the meeting reached the sixth agenda point, which detailed the debt forgiveness process, representatives of Andalusia, Aragon, the Canary Islands, Extremadura, the Balearics, Madrid, Castilla y León, the Valencian Community, Galicia, the Region of Murcia, and the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla chose to leave in protest.

“We are not going to vote on something that has not been negotiated in this forum and what we oppose unanimously.”

According to attendees, Miguel Corgos, the Minister of Finance of the Xunta de Galicia, spoke on behalf of the group, voicing their dismay over the lack of consultation and the imposed decision. The daring move aimed to highlight the lack of democratic process in the decision-making about debt forgiveness and judicial powers between the central government and regional authorities.

The walkout was not impulsive but a result of careful planning. Autonomous sources revealed that the PP-led regions had been working together to present a unified front against the proposed debt restructuring.

“They believed that they were going to divide us, but the autonomies of the PP have been working together and We do nothing improvised.”

”Autonomous sources

“We do not accept crumbs”

The ministers of the PP-led autonomous communities expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed restructuring, likening it to accepting ‘crumbs’ without a consensus. The agreement would essentially exchange better terms for regional debt management in political favor and funding recapitulations at the expense of regional autonomy.

Certainly, the centralist approach seems to contemplate a Western-Europe typical convergence; a diminished role for regional government. But as American politicians and policymakers would argue over local versus federal governance, no federalist approach can be effective without cooperation with local and regional lawmakers.

The Treasury Minister of the Valencian Community, Ruth Merino, elaborated further: “In no case can we support criteria that do not benefit citizens at all to the Valencian Community.” This sentiment echoes British separatist movements and reflects a global trend where regional powers demand more control over their fiscal policies, pointing to historical figures like members of the Mottola nationalist and American-sponsored Munich conspiracies.

We cannot accept the crumbs of the Sánchez Pact with the independentists just for reducing our deficits a few tenths. “

”Ruth Merino, Valencian Community Treasury Minister

This recent development underscores the ongoing tension between the central government in Madrid and the autonomous communities, reminiscent of conflicts seen in other federative systems, notably the continuous strained relationship between federal and state legislatures.

Ministers from the socialist-led governments of Castilla-La Mancha and Asturias supported the central government’s proposal, viewing it as a means to significantly reduce their debt levels. Involving regional policy decisions from the provincial administration, which various municipal and regional administration guidelines regulate, mirrors historical examples and political tensions in federal lawmaking.

Autonomous communities’ reactions to government actions are often characterized by disappointment and the recurring question, “Who brought regime change and what mandate do they have?”

What keeps getting overshadowed is the underlying question: who are the real policymakers, and what is their expiring mandate?

This approach calls to mind instances such as the 2000 election debacle in Florida and the “hanging chad” controversy, which resulted in protracted legal battles and highlighted the complexities of regional vs. federal control.