Milestones in fiscal or labor matters stand out and negotiation sources do not see that they affect contacts with parliamentary allies
MADRID, 24 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The government program agreement between PSOE and Sumar will contribute to providing stability in the future coexistence in the Executive between both allies, after overcoming important obstacles in matters such as the reduction of working hours, closed at the end of the negotiation, or the question of the reduction of domestic flights, according to negotiation sources.
Thus, they call for this agreement not to be seen as an element of pressure with the possible parliamentary allies in the face of the investiture, given that the idea was to complete the deadline that both forces gave themselves on October 4 and the negotiation with the groups parliamentarians has another independent track.
Nor do they expect problems within Díaz’s coalition despite the coldness with which it has been received by Podemos, as they emphasize that the agreement involves the entire confluence and its deputies.
The negotiation that began three months ago between both groups culminated in an agreement closed in the early hours of this Tuesday, after contacts intensified on Monday, managing to overcome the main obstacle which was the reduction of the working day.
Precisely this point generated friction in recent days, given that Sumar considered it fundamental and with rapprochements with the PSOE in the last days of contact, although the aforementioned sources highlight that they began to talk about specific dates and times of reduction on the same Monday, given that Sumar required specification of the scope of the measure in the drafting of the agreement.
Thus, the agreed formula of gradual deployment until reaching 37.5 hours of working hours (by 2025) will foreseeably require a bill that readjusts the status of workers with some transitional provision.
And of course this measure will be addressed with social dialogue, like all matters in the labor field, but from the conviction that in no case can there be a “veto” to the Government’s initiative in the event of disagreement between employers and unions.
It has not been the only element that was difficult to define in the exchange of documents that the respective negotiating teams had been doing since August, given that the commitment to advance in the reduction of domestic flights of 2.5 hours with a rail alternative available also required a detailed discussion. .
In this way, a formula is achieved that pleases Sumar but that also satisfies the PSOE, which warned that this measure could not in any case affect the hub of international air connections that constitute the airports of Madrid and Barajas.
On the other hand, they explain that the drafting of the agreement has achieved a “crucial” specification of the future Executive’s roadmap, which will help prevent possible conflicts from occurring within the coalition by leaving the program for the next legislature, with relevant social measures such as the care law or the expansion of paid leave that underpin a welfare state that had weakened flanks.
And in this sense they defend that this detailing does not carry the risk of alienating non-progressive forces such as Junts and PNV, which will be key during the legislature to approve the regulatory agenda.
In fact, they are aware that there is a parliamentary arithmetic in Congress that “is what it is”, without a majority of the left but of “progress”, which is why they see it as feasible to carry out, for example, the fiscal and tax measures contemplated. Therefore, it will be necessary to negotiate but they see it possible to obtain support in these formations.
They also emphasize that measures such as reducing working hours, reforming dismissals or deploying a new workers’ statute are “tectonic movements” in terms of work, given that they include “crucial” advances that were not included in the new labor reform.
In addition, they demand a commitment to health with measures decided to improve dental health and include the dentist service in the public system or the plan to reduce surgical waiting lists, aware that these measures will involve long negotiations with the communities. autonomous.
Of course, they reject criticism of invasion of jurisdiction to emphasize that health is a shared competence and that the general administration “has something to say” and has its legislative capacity to promote these measures.
Another highlight is to reform the corporate tax with a rate of 15% for large companies based on real profits, which makes it possible to plug a collection gap that the country suffered from with an estimated income of 10,000 million euros annually.
Along with the commitment to maintain the tax on fiscal benefits of banking and energy companies, readjusting these figures when the current extraordinary tax declines within a year, the aforementioned sources consider that the stage is opening to explore a tax reform.
At the same time, they set themselves the challenge of ending fiscal dumping between the autonomous communities and it will be necessary to see if this issue is also linked to the reform of regional financing, something of which Sumar is in favor.
Finally, housing is another relevant element in this agreement between PSOE and Sumar, given that it is possible to develop a law approved in the previous legislature with the commitment to articulate a price index for rent control, promote an ambitious public housing stock and regulate tourist apartments, which means amending this notable regulation of the previous mandate with an improvement that was left out of the text of the law at the time.
