SAN SEBASTIÁN DE LA GOMERA, 14th June (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Canary Islands’ President, Fernando Clavijo, today cautioned the central government about the importance of upholding “the principle of equality in Spain” following the announcement by the Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero, to provide special financial treatment including debt relief of approximately 15 billion Euros.
Speaking to reporters in La Gomera, he acknowledged that this decision is linked to what was “agreed” with ERC for the investiture of Pedro Sánchez and noted that “the minister should implement a similar measure for all Spanish regions”.
Additionally, he mentioned that “compensation should be granted to the Canary Islands, either through debt relief or increased funding”, emphasizing that the archipelago does not carry acknowledged debt through the FLA as it didn’t require it being the least indebted region.
“If the Spanish State opts to assume a portion of the autonomous community’s debt of that magnitude, it must do so uniformly,” he stressed.
Clavijo declared that should the principle of equality be disregarded, “one of Spain’s coexistence foundations is undermined.”
“I trust and hope that the minister doesn’t allude to that, but instead alludes to the fact that the State, in this case, the one that has not met its obligations, having a deficit significantly surpassing that permitted by Europe, the real entity providing fewer services such as health, education, and social services since the autonomous communities offer them, should provide the means and resources to equally compensate us all,” he remarked.
