Spain's autonomous financing reform faces regional opposition

The Spanish Ministry of Finance is trying to pass a new model for financing the autonomous communities that would take effect on 1 January. Only four regions – Catalonia, Asturias, Castilla‑La Mancha and the Canary Islands – have accepted bilateral meetings with Treasury Secretary Jesús Gascón; all of them criticised the proposal. The governments of Madrid, Andalusia, La Rioja, Cantabria, the Balearic Islands and other PP‑run regions have refused to attend, arguing that financing should be decided in multilateral forums.

In Asturias, Vice‑president Gimena Llamedo described the region’s response as a “no rotundo, pero sereno”, rejecting a plan that would lower Asturias’s funding from 101.3 % to 95.3 % of the national average. The Ministry says it will soon convene a Council of Fiscal and Financial Policy with all regions before the reform can be approved by the cabinet.