Meeting of Spanish regional presidents in Barcelona ends without agreements

The 28th Conference of Spanish Regional Presidents, held in Barcelona for the first time, ended on Friday without any agreements.

Divisions were clear before the meeting, with growing tension between the ruling Socialists and the opposition People's Party (PP).

The standout proposal at the summit came from Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who unveiled a new housing plan.

The measure would increase public investment in housing from €2.3 billion to €7 billion over the next four years.

Sánchez suggested that the central government cover 60% of the funding, calling on regional governments to contribute the remaining 40%.

One of the key elements of the plan is to permanently designate public housing with protected status, ensuring it remains outside the speculative market and out of the hands of investment funds.

Additionally, Sánchez proposed the creation of a national public database to provide citizens and administrations with access to real sale and rental prices.

However, the proposal received support only from the Socialist-led regional governments.

Attempting to ease tensions at this highly polarized summit, Sánchez called for greater "co-responsibility" among regional leaders in addressing the housing crisis.

"Either we leave the political friction at the door, or this meeting will be of little use," he told them.

Catalan president Salvador Illa expressed his “full support” for the PM's proposals but stressed that Catalonia had "already done its homework."

Clash over regional financing

One of the main points raised by PP leaders at the meeting was Spain’s regional financing model.

The debate stems from an agreement reached last year between the ruling Socialists and the pro-independence party Esquerra Republicana, which would allow Catalonia to collect all of its own taxes.

In response, Andalusian president Juanma Moreno Bonilla of the PP insisted that "all autonomous communities must receive the same financing."

Sharing this sentiment within the Socialists, Castilla-La Mancha president Emiliano García-Page, one of the deal’s critics within the party, warned against creating "special regimes."

In defense of the agreement, Catalan president Illa acknowledged the need for reform in Spain’s regional financing system, stressing that the issue must be approached "far from noise, prejudice, and stereotypes."

"The debate must resist easy criticism and the temptation of permanent boycott," Illa added. "Otherwise, we’re not just boycotting the system, we’re boycotting citizens."

Madrid regional president walks out

Despite the proposals on the table, the conference will be remembered for the moment Madrid’s regional leader, Isabel Díaz Ayuso of the PP, walked out when Catalan and Basque were spoken.

"Spain is not a plurinational state," Ayuso said at the end of the conference, calling the use of Spain’s co-official languages in the forum "a farce."

Although Ayuso returned once Catalan and Basque speeches had concluded - marking the first time these languages were officially used in such a meeting - her protest was not well received, even within her own party.

Marga Prohens, the president of the Balearic Islands and a fellow PP member, spoke in Catalan during part of her speech, distancing herself from Ayuso’s remarks.

Alfonso Rueda, the PP president of Galicia, also delivered part of his address in Galician.

"I find it absurd to speak Spanish in the hallway over coffee, and then put on a headset in here to discuss matters that concern all Spaniards," Ayuso added. 

In response to the controversy, Illa thanked the other presidents for "respecting" the languages and recognizing them as a "collective richness."