Legislative activity is “still too centralized.” This has been denounced by the counselor of the Presidency, Laura Vilagrà, in the presentation of the report of the Institut d’Estudis de l’Autogovern, a study that supports the “solid” government action of the ERC Cabinet during the year 2022 and recriminates ” the reduced margin” to legislate from Catalonia that has been left by the “intense legislative activity of the State”.
The republican leader has indicated that, despite the fact that Catalonia has once again participated in multilateral bodies, its degree of decision is low. “When the autonomies call us to the sectoral conferences, the fish is already sold, the key parameters have already been decided,” lamented Vilagrà.
Likewise, he has insisted on the “structural” fiscal deficit, which has been a “constant in the last decade”, as well as the low budget execution. All of this, he has lamented, “reduces the possibilities of all citizens.”
The report presented this Tuesday reviews the areas in which the Generalitat, through the Institut d’Estudis d’Autogovern, sees room for expansion and improvement of powers, as well as those in which it considers that there is a comparative grievance – case of the deficit fiscal- Among these areas is the economic area, where the report highlights the “good data of the Catalan economy” in growth, internationalization of companies, diversification of the economy, employment or tourist activity, but also the “constant structural fiscal deficit” of Catalonia.
The financing model and the State’s investment deficit in Catalonia also constitute two episodes in which the Government sees room for improving self-government; as seen in the distribution of Next Generation funds, which they point out is carried out with “little participatory” criteria.
Although bilateral relations between the Government and the Generalitat were resumed with the impetus of the dialogue table and the reissue of the bilateral commissions, the Government considers that the intense legislative activity of the State during the 2022 financial year “restricts the scope of action of the Generalitat”. In this sense, the report highlights the “extraordinary density” of said activity, to the point that “it has been higher than that of the previous three years of the legislature.” This leaves a “reduced margin for the Generalitat” to “establish its own policies.”
Among the sectoral areas in which the Government accuses the State of an “invasion of powers” they mention above all housing, the environment, audiovisual media, health, but also education, science, consumption, agriculture, taxes , equal treatment, etc.
Despite the little margin left, according to Pere Aragonès’ Executive, by the legislative activity of the State, the report itself highlights “the solid government action” of the ERC Cabinet, with a “special impact on the social sphere,” they say. However, the degree of execution of the legislature’s government plan is placed at 41% thanks to the “provision of an operating budget since January 1.”
Among the sectoral areas in which the report values ??the actions of the Catalan government are relations with the European Union (Aragonès proposed to resume that relationship after the process), social services, housing and equality and feminism; local regime, and public administration, open government and transparency.
According to Vilagrà, “the majority of Catalans want the capacity for self-government of the Generalitat to be increased, they want to have more sovereignty” and, “eventually”, the right to decide. And despite the loss of citizens’ trust in institutions in general, “Catalan institutions still enjoy significant trust.” Something that has contrasted with the “fall” of confidence in the monarchy.
Along these lines, the councilor has also admitted that “the perception of the Spanish Government has improved a little” in Catalonia, an image improvement to which they have attributed the “small changes” in terms of resolving the political conflict that Pedro has carried out. Sánchez, “insufficient” for the Catalan Executive.
