SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 23 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Government of the Canary Islands has called upon the central administration this Monday for “transparency and information” regarding the potential overhaul of the regional funding system, insisting that discussions should not occur “based on unverified claims” reflected in the media.
This assertion was made by the spokesman for the regional government, Alfonso Cabello, during a press briefing to outline the agreements reached by the Government Council. He emphasised that preparing a budget for 2025 is “extremely challenging” with the limited information available to the autonomous community.
He highlighted that this matter cannot be addressed “in a one-on-one discussion” between two political entities or governments. Instead, it needs to occur at a Conference of Presidents, as “speculation” suggests a new model that “could disrupt the core principles” of equality among the autonomous communities.
“We acknowledge that a bilateral arrangement between the Government and Catalonia might only have repercussions for other autonomous communities, thus, we believe that dialogue must occur with comprehensive information at hand,” he stated.
Cabello emphasised that the Canary Islands are “very clear” regarding their stance in any forthcoming negotiations, which centre around the acknowledgment of the “unique characteristics” of the islands stemming from their remote location, geographical fragmentation, and the “entrenchment” of the REF and the Statute of Autonomy, which are “by no means a form of privilege.”
