He believes that the Budgets are still "green" and projects that negotiations will accelerate in the second half of January

MADRID, 23 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The PNV spokesperson in Congress, Aitor Esteban, has stated that he wants to start talking "now" with the Government about the transfer of Security to the Basque Country promised in the investiture agreement with the PSOE, specifically before the Basque elections. If there is no advance they will be in July.

Of course, the spokesperson has defended discussing this transfer with "discretion" and without publicly revealing possible progress in the negotiation. "I think we have to start talking now, before the Basque elections, but without anyone knowing," Esteban stated in statements to RNE's 'Parliament' program collected by Europa Press.

But it is not the only transfer about which the PNV is talking with the Executive. The Basque nationalist and socialist formations also agreed on the transfer of the powers of Cercanías, the homologation and equalization of university degrees and the immigration reception system within a period of three months.

Regarding these negotiations, Esteban has assured that the last meeting held with the Government "went very well" because it could be seen that there was "very advanced documentation" and a marked calendar on which they are working. "They have dates and I think we will soon be able to see it," commented the spokesperson, who hopes that once these transfers are completed, the rest will continue to be fulfilled, which they have been waiting for "40 years" since the signing of the Statute of Autonomy of the Country. Basque.

Aitor Esteban has also pointed out that his party still does not know the text of the new anti-crisis decree that the Government will approve before the end of the year to extend or repeal some of the aid deployed to combat inflation, such as tax reductions on electricity, gas or food.

"We are 'in albis' because we do not know the text, so I hope they pass it on to us as soon as possible," commented Esteban, who recalled that there are some measures, such as transport bonuses, that "it is important" how they are proposed, because they not only concern the central Administration, but also the autonomous communities.

Likewise, it has been expectant about the compatibility of much of this aid with the new fiscal rules agreed upon in the European Union, something of which the PNV does not have the "detail" of either the new spending rule or how the agreement. "We will have to start cutting back on some issues. Let's see what the Government's approach is," Esteban added.

One of the best-known aids in the different anti-crisis decrees has been the elimination of VAT on basic foods and the reduction from 10% to 5% in this tax for pasta and oils.

"I think we have to seriously consider whether it has been effective and whether citizens have really noticed it in their pockets. I have many doubts that it has been noticed in the end," Esteban said in reference to this measure. And he considers that extending the 'sine die' measure makes "no sense", especially if the VAT is lowered on many of these products, but then their final price is raised.

Another of the economic issues that Aitor Esteban has spoken about is the spending ceiling and the budget stability objectives of the autonomous communities for 2024, the latter in the spotlight, because the PP has the possibility of blocking them with its absolute majority. in the Senate.

In this scenario, the Ministry of Finance offered the autonomous communities a greater margin of deficit for the year at the meeting of the Fiscal Policy Council. If they were rejected in the Upper House, the CC.AA. would have to stick to tighter spending commitments.

"The PP has to decide what it chooses, whether a frontal opposition and deny the Budgets to the Government or also give a little more respite to the autonomous communities that, let's not forget, in most of them they are governing," indicated Esteban. , which for this reason believes that in the blue formation there will be "back and forth" about what decision to make.

Of course, in the spokesperson's opinion "it makes no sense" that once the investiture has taken place there is no room for there to be a Budget.

The PNV deputy has confirmed that he has already started talks with the Government on budgetary matters, both regarding the commitments already known in the investiture agreement and other priorities, concerns and approaches at a fiscal level.

However, Esteban has clarified that the conversations are taking place in a "very preliminary" framework and the public accounts project is still "very green." "I think that from January 15 the negotiations will begin to be more concrete," the spokesperson predicted.