“The spending rule, approved by PP and PNV prevents any social budgets from being made”

Nov 22, 2017

Convened by the Social Charter of Rights of Euskal Herria, 2,000 people have gathered together today in Gasteiz to demand social budgets to be used to obtain another model of society. Firstly, an act was carried out in the Mendizorroza Hall; then a demonstration filed through the streets of Gasteiz, ending in front of the Basque Parliament.

The secretary general of ELA, Adolfo Muñoz Txiki, was one of the people who participated in the act. Muñoz denounced the fact that with the budgetary project announced by the Basque Government social inequality will increase. “The inequalities are increasing with economic growth. This is due to the decisions taken during the crisis, which have weakened the participation in salaries, social benefits and the role of the public services. These budgets increase the inequalities. Those who propose them, as occurs with the neoliberals all over the world, let the market allocate the resources and the wealth that we generate”.

Although it has yet to be passed by the parliament, Muñoz emphasises that the essential points have already been agreed upon with the PP. “The Spending Rule was agreed upon by the PP and the PNV on the 11th of July. It is one of these agreements that the Lehendakari is proud of because they are the fruit of ‘bilateralism’. The only elements that are bilateral are the neoliberal policies that they share. The aim of the Spending Rule is to ensure that the increase in tax collection is allocated to depreciating the public debt. A public debt which, it should not be forgotten, is growing due to the low level of tax burden we suffering from, not because social spending is excessive. Therefore, the amount allocated to the debt increases by 12% compared to the previous year, whilst any social entries are either frozen or the increase is negligible”.

“The Spending Rule means something that is unacceptable in democracy occurs: no amendments can be presented that mean an increase in spending. For this reason we say that, beyond the political spectacle that is organised, the essential points of the budget have been decided on before they reach the Parliament”.

In this context, in the opinion of the secretary general of ELA, it is obvious that there is a structural agreement between PNV, PSE-EE and PP. “It is normal for the neoliberals to be the ones who agree and apply neoliberal policies. Anything else would be inexplicable. The agreement, in terms of the numbers necessary to approve the budgets and the taxation, needs the PP. The companions that are chosen also help the approved policies to be seen”. This agreement demands a clear opposition to these policies. “It is very easy to understand the right wing when they talk and join forces. The political left wing must do the same, but the other way round.