What price do the Government partners put to approve the Budgets?

ERC – with 13 seats – is the government’s most important partner. The approval of the Budgets comes in the middle of several open negotiations between the Catalan Republicans and the Executive. And the conversations, therefore, end up crossing. Thus, in the registered amendments they demand 9 million to reconvert the Via Laietana police station into a “place of historical memory” – typical of the debate around the Democratic Memory bill – or to shield 80 million euros for the promotion of audiovisual productions in Catalan, Galician and Basque -a demand that comes from the negotiation of the General Audiovisual Communication Bill-.

In the almost 600 amendments tabled, they also propose to tighten the higher sections in personal income tax to savings income in such a way that those that exceed 100,000 have to pay 13% and those that exceed 300,000 15%. On the other hand, they propose to slightly raise taxes on banking, the taxation that applies to online gambling and the transmission of noble titles. On the contrary, they want to carry out a significant reduction in VAT: reduce feminine hygiene products, cultural products, physical activities, diapers … to 4%; and 10% veterinary services, hairdressers and specific products for celiacs.

The PNV -which has six seats- is one of the main partners of the Executive. This was assured by the Minister of Finance, Maria Jesus Montero, last thursday to the parliamentary spokesman jeltzale, Aitor Esteban. The intention, he said, is to reach an agreement to accept the improvements they propose. Enter the amendments they have registered is not to apply the so-called ‘Tobin Tax’ to the complementary social welfare entities. In other words, these companies do not have to face the 0.2% tax on the purchase and sale of shares of Spanish companies with a market capitalization of more than 1,000 million euros. And, like ERC, they ask to lower VAT for hairdressers al 10%.

Another of his proposals is to expand the economic benefit for the care of minors affected by cancer or other serious diseases, eliminating the limitation of the age of majority. They also want to create a fund to compensate 5 million euro asbestos victims. ERC and EH Bildu want it to be 25 million.

EH Bildu -with 5 deputies- also tries to take advantage of the Government’s need to achieve their ‘yeses’. The abertzale formation has presented several amendments focused on investments in the Basque Country and Navarra to “modernize” infrastructures. However, they have presented a package together with ERC to promote knowledge of Basque -in addition to Catalan, Galician and other languages-. To the 80 million who claim for the promotion of the audiovisual productions In official languages ​​other than Spanish, Bildu is asking for almost one million euros for the digitization of audiovisual media produced in Basque.

Together with the Catalan Republicans, they have tabled several amendments related to the menstrual poverty. Thus, they propose to reduce the VAT of feminine hygiene products to 4%; conduct a study on the factors of menstrual poverty and its individual consequences; implement awareness plans on menstrual health; and offering feminine hygiene products in all public buildings to people in a “vulnerable socio-economic situation.”

Más País – with two deputies, Íñigo Errejón and Inés Sabanés – have also replicated some of the proposals on menstrual poverty in their amendments. However, one of them stands out in which they propose the creation of a 8-hour menstrual leave per month for all women of childbearing age. These hours could be used on the same day or on different days during menstruation, although they must be compensated in the next four months.

In addition, they propose the setting up of the Office of the Ombudsman for Future Generations, multiplying the number of psychologists in public health and promoting a network of high-speed night trains between Spain and the rest of Europe.