Canary Islands President insists that the agreement «breaks solidarity» between autonomous communities and «robs» Canarians of over 1,000 million.
The President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, criticized the absence of the Minister of Finance, Matilde Asián, from the meeting of the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council (CPFF) on Wednesday, in line with what the regions governed by the PP did, although he said he shares «the essence» of the protest because the debt forgiveness «harms» the interests of the Canary Islands.
«That was a personal decision, you know that I don’t agree. I never stop sitting down or standing up, meaning, I don’t leave a table where something about the Canary Islands is being discussed,» he said in statements to journalists.
In any case, he pointed out that it is «anecdotal» because the position of the Government of the Canary Islands was fixed beforehand, also acknowledging that Asián tried to contact him and the vice president, Manuel Domínguez, to communicate the decision.
Clavijo has stated that «it will not happen again» even if the distribution of debt forgiveness were to be approved «by all» despite the vote against by the Canary Islands — it will be sent in writing to the Government — since the State reserves half of the voting weight, according to the regulations.
He said that Asián’s «technical and legal» knowledge is «absolutely impeccable and unblemished,» and the CPFF agreement does not respond to the «general interest» and even raises «serious doubts» about its legality.
However, he made it clear that «where something about the Canary Islands is being discussed,» one must «be present» and express their «displeasure.»
The Canary Islands President has insisted that it «makes no sense» to forgive more debt to «the richest community that has not managed its finances well in Spain» and that, however, to the Canary Islands, the least indebted autonomous community, a «double punishment» is applied, limiting forgiveness to 50%, which only affects the Canary Islands, and over 2,200 euros of forgiveness to a citizen of Catalonia compared to 1,468 for a citizen of the Canary Islands.
He also recalled that in the «hardest moments» of the 2008 crisis, the Canary Islands carried out a «serious and rigorous» management that meant not being able to provide services to the citizens of the Canary Islands, services that «perhaps were enjoyed in other autonomous communities.»
Now, he noted, «Canarians will have to pay part of that debt for services that citizens in some autonomous communities enjoyed and that, in the Canary Islands, they did not, which we understand is a double punishment and we are against it.»
Clavijo pointed out that he does not have a «magic wand» or engage in «political fiction» about possible bilateral financing agreements, while questioning the «methods» for presenting the forgiveness model, as he found out through the media and through a party (ERC) that is not part of the Government.
«We arrived with the proposal that a political leader had already announced, we don’t believe that is the way to negotiate between governments, and, furthermore, that proposal was not even, as the Government vice presidency had committed to, discussed and debated beforehand with the autonomous communities, it was like take it or leave it,» he said.
Clavijo believes that this model «breaks solidarity» and «robs» the Canarians of over 1,000 million when the islands have contributed to the «stability of institutions» by being «serious and rigorous» with the management as they did not assume expenses for public services at the time.
«We have committed to finances and the future of these generations, and now we have to pay part of the bill for others who have not been as serious and rigorous, which we do not find fair,» he said.
