1676870843 The government assures that it is prepared for the political

The government assures that it is prepared for the “political” scrutiny of MPs on the allocation of funds

Nadia Calviño attends the VI.  Digital Transformation Advisory Board meeting in Madrid.Nadia Calviño attends VI. Madrid Digital Transformation Advisory Council meeting this Friday in Madrid.Juan Carlos Hidalgo (EFE)

All information from the government on the European funds allocated to Spain will be available to the 10 MPs who will examine Spain’s management of its recovery plan for three days, Monday to Wednesday. The windows are open, but the uneasiness caused by the apparent displeasure of the President of the European Parliament’s Budget Committee, Germany’s Monika Hohlmeier of the European People’s Party, in close accord with the Spanish PP MEPs, flies over. This position differs from that of the European Commission, which this Friday released the third tranche of funds: 6,000 million, joining the 31,000 already received.

More information

It is not said aloud, but in government media from the ministries and departments concerned there is talk of the arrival of “a political delegation” in which the members of the PPE and Liberals, especially the Spanish, come with prejudices about the correctness of the route of funds . “Control mechanisms have been pushed to the maximum with new tools and compliance with all observations,” government media said. The same sources add that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez; the first vice president, Nadia Calviño; Finance Minister María Jesús Montero and Minister for Integration and Social Security José Luis Escrivá face the European visit with the calm of a man who has done a good job. The Social Democrats place the exam in the context of the electoral area, in Spain and in Brussels: in four months they play local and regional elections and in 10 the general ones; and the Europeans a year later. In the left groups, they also point to usual disagreements between the European Parliament and the European Commission. The visit of the deputies must take place in this crossfire.

Since 2021, the conservative sphere of the European Parliament has been circulating the idea that Spain had a very difficult time getting the funds due to its poor performance. But the facts speak against it, and just the evening before the third tranche of the trip led by Hohlmeier was released, which he stated as the purpose of his visit: “We want information about the existing systems for monitoring and controlling the mechanism, with particular attention to auditing , fraud prevention, detection and cooperation with the EU institutions “. Their fears center on a possible “lack of methodology, lack of transparency and other difficulties for the EU to verify the use of RRF funds”. [siglas inglesas del Mecanismo de Recuperación y Resiliencia]“. German politicians add that Spain has not reported sufficiently, which is echoed by the PP leadership and Spanish MPs. The government had prepared to allay Hohlmeier’s fears, but not now, for this visit, but from the outset, because he had previously dealt with all the objections that the European Commission had formulated, the people consulted point out that he this done got settled. Nevertheless, there are still requirements to be met.

The intense and not easy work with the Commission is alien to the context created by the delegation that arrives in Madrid this Monday and which is joined by a majority of Spanish politicians interested in verifying the correctness of their country. Hohlmeier will be accompanied by the Portuguese, also by the EPP, José Manuel Fernandes, and the socialists Isabel García Muñoz, from Spain, and Caterina Chinnici, from Italy. The composition of the Committee on Budgets is completed by Jorge Buxadé from Vox. But there are more MEPs as ‘accompanying members’: Isabel Benjumea from the PPE; Elder Gardiazabal of the Socialists and Democrats; Ernest Urtasun from the Los Verdes Group (and of En Comú Podem) and Susana Solís from the European Liberal Group (member of Ciudadanos). Bulgarian MEP Eva Maria Poptcheva will also take part from this liberal group Renew.

The delegation of MEPs has chosen other interlocutors during their visit, including regional councilors such as Javier Fernández-Lasquetty, of the Madrid Community for Economy, Finance and Employment, who has criticized that the distribution of funds is “slow” and that their design “has come from above, without counting the Autonomous Communities”. The delegation will also meet the economic leaders of Andalusia, governed by the PP, and the socialists of Castile-La Mancha, Aragon and Extremadura. Trade associations, the self-employed and chambers of commerce will also give their opinion on the distribution of recovery funds; a mechanism to help EU countries after the disaster of the pandemic. The President of the delegation will present her vision publicly on Wednesday lunchtime before returning to Brussels. The scrutiny by the European Commission continues and there is still the pension reform, among other things.

What affects most is what happens closer. Subscribe so you don’t miss anything.

subscribe to

Subscribe to continue reading

Read without limits