The spokesperson for Coalición Canaria (CC) in the Congress of Deputies, Cristina Valido, and the President of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, have both called for a modification of the spending rule and rejected the debt write-off for Catalonia as well as special financing, during their meeting on Tuesday.
In statements made to the press following a meeting at the Insular Palace, Valido questioned how it is possible to treat everyone equally when territories are not “the same”, adding that “Canarias has complied” and possesses a debt that is “perfectly manageable.”
She pointed out that the archipelago “does not gain much from being funded for its debt” and emphasised the importance of revising the spending rule that prevents institutions such as the Cabildo of Tenerife, and La Palma, with its volcanic crisis and considerable needs, from using their reserves.
For Valido, it is “absurd” that “thousands of millions are being deducted from other areas to cover debts” while special financing agreements do not address the unique needs of territories like Canarias. “This isn’t a whim nor an arbitrary issue,” as stipulated by both the REF and the Statute of Autonomy. “We demand compliance,” she remarked.
Dávila argued that the debt write-off for Catalonia translates to money being “taken from the Canary Islands and Tenerife,” affecting healthcare, education, social services, and infrastructure investments, while at the same time preventing local institutions from spending their own resources due to the non-implementation of the spending rule in the absence of General State Budgets.
In this context, she noted that last year, the Cabildo of Tenerife “exhausted all of its funds,” necessitating the approval of an economic-financial plan extending to 2026.
“The money belonging to the people of Tenerife stays in Tenerife; it will not be used to finance Catalonians or their investments or debts. It remains in Tenerife,” she stated, predicting that another similar plan will be approved next year.
@rosa_davilamamely 📣📣 The money from Tenerife stays in Tenerife. I have stated this several times and will continue to do so as long as necessary. If we need to create an Economic-Financial Plan, we will do it again. What we will not tolerate is our money being used to settle the debts of other communities. We are a land that faces many hardships, where people struggle to make ends meet, where there is a lack of staff to assist dependent individuals, and where children need scholarships to receive a quality education. I will not allow the good management of the Cabildo of Tenerife, which has invested all of its funds, to benefit others. I have experienced the injustice of being unable to spend our own money to invest in other communities with surpluses. As long as I am President of the Cabildo, I will not tolerate this, because the money belonging to the people of Tenerife must benefit them and their land.
Dávila made it clear that they will not allow “the Spanish Government to keep the money, only to end up giving it to the Catalonians,” reiterating her firm stance against what she describes as an “injustice.” She highlighted that this issue was previously raised when she served as the Minister of Finance for the Canary Islands, given the “hardships” faced by residents who could barely make ends meet while the autonomous community showed a surplus.
The Tenerife president feels it is “great” that political agreements are being signed with various parties, but emphasised that there must be an consideration of the uniqueness of Canarias and that there should be “flexibility” regarding the spending rule to ensure that the “sound management” of the Cabildo of Tenerife directly benefits its residents.
FREEDOM OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT: “IT WILL NOT BE EASY”
“What we will not permit, and I will not tolerate while I am president, is for the funds of the people of Tenerife to be used to pay off the debt of Catalonians,” she explained.
Valido also pointed out that CC advocates for the General Budgets “to enter Congress” so that they can see “with numbers” that the ‘Canarian agenda’ is being met, especially since there are “very important” pending issues like the agreement for hydraulic works, as the Cabildo of Tenerife, for instance, “is fronting the cost for essential works needed in Tenerife” and these funds “must be compensated.”
She additionally mentioned that “a new road agreement must begin to be studied” to maintain an “important pace” in executing projects and consequently “to resolve the traffic congestion” in some areas of the islands.
The nationalist spokesperson also acknowledged that “it will not be easy” to extend free public transport, predicting that it will be “a complicated battle” because it has already “disappeared” across the state; nonetheless, she assured that they will “continue to fight” for this, as it is “key” for the islands’ mobility strategy, given the limited alternatives due to their geography and population concentration.
