The Government of Spain highlights the highly constructive nature of the meetings with the regional presidents to promote co-governance between administrations

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, this Friday continued the round of bilateral meetings with the regional presidents, which the executive highlights for its highly constructive nature and its usefulness in promoting the model of institutional co-governance between administrations.

The chief executive has received at Moncloa Palace the President of the Region of Murcia, Fernando López Miras, the President of the Generalitat Valenciana, Carlos Mazón, and the President of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page. After each meeting, the Minister for Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, appeared to report on its content, stressing the consensus-based nature of the round of meetings with the autonomous communities.

Torres underlined the government's commitment to better financing for all the autonomous communities, insisting that the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council is the competent body to establish both the updating of the financing system from a multilateral point of view and any debt relief. "This government believes in the State of the Autonomous Regions and in the uniqueness of our country, and it demonstrates this with the measures it is taking forward", the minister assured.

Financing, water and infrastructures, the focal points of the government's action in Murcia

In his meeting with the President of the Region of Murcia, the President of the Government highlighted the figures that demonstrate the executive's commitment to the growth of the Region, which will receive record funding of almost €4.8 billion in 2024, which is 647 million more than in 2023, an increase of 15.6%.

The chief executive focused on water and drought as key issues for the development of the region, which will see an increase in its desalinated water production capacity. Pedro Sánchez conveyed the government's commitment to turn water into a secure guarantee for Murcia, a priority that involves complementing the Tajo-Segura water transfer by strengthening the generation of desalinated water and optimising purification and efficiency.

Meeting between the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of the Region of Murcia, Fernando López Miras | Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo

The commitment to the region also includes the recovery of the Mar Menor, which has an investment of €700 million to develop the Framework of Priority Actions in the lagoon, of which €116 million have already been mobilised. With regard to the extension of the port of El Gorguel, Pedro Sánchez advocated dialogue and co-governance to reach an agreement in line with European environmental regulations.

Regarding infrastructures, the President of the Government also highlighted the historic investment of the executive to modernise the railway network in the region, bearing in mind that this executive has brought the high-speed train to Murcia and continues to take decisive steps towards it reaching Cartagena and Lorca. The region has also received almost €2 billion since 2018 for transport and infrastructure. Pedro Sánchez also highlighted the special impact of European funds in the Region of Murcia, where the government has implemented €895 million.

Boosting infrastructures and industry in the Valencia Region

In his meeting with Carlos Mazón, the chief executive recalled that under his government, the Comunitat has received 49% more funding, and €6.4 billion in European funds have been transferred.

Pedro Sánchez has praised the progress made in the government's firm commitment to the development of the Mediterranean Corridor, which is now 100% planned, with the project already under construction rising from 40% to 75% in the last six years.

On the subject of water, the chief executive pointed out that more than 50 cubic hectometres have been brought to the Comunitat, doubling the water contributions planned for the Albufera Natural Park. On this point, Minister Torres confirmed a forthcoming meeting between the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge and the Valencian Government, to analyse and seek solutions to the water problem.

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of the Generalitat Valenciana, Carlos Mazón, greet each other | Pool Moncloa /Borja Puig de la Bellacasa

In turn, Sánchez conveyed to Mazón his government's commitment to the ceramics industry. Proof of this is the extraordinary aid of around €90 million the sector received as a result of the war in Ukraine. On PERTE Chip, Torres confirmed that there will be a bilateral meeting with the competent ministers of the Government of Spain, Diana Morant and Óscar López.

Another commitment is to set up a technical committee with qualified representatives to analyse the historic request of the Valencian Community regarding the transfer of the Dama de Elche, with the aim of reaching a consensus in accordance with technical criteria and the preservation of this asset of great cultural and historic interest.

A commitment to social and territorial cohesion in Castile-La Mancha

In his meeting with the President of Castilla-La Mancha, Pedro Sánchez underlined the government's firm commitment to the socio-economic development of the region, which has record funding of almost €7.04 billion in 2024, 14.5% more than the previous year. The government's investment effort results in 39% more funding. In addition to all this, the €968 million European funds executed to date by the State in Castilla-La Mancha have been allocated. The President of the Government has made the Tagus-Segura aqueduct a priority on the executive's agenda, and has highlighted the desire for dialogue and cooperation with the communities involved to address its management. He also valued the more than €3 billion earmarked for improving desalinated water production in the Segura basin as part of the Third Cycle Hydrological Planning (€23 billion).

Meeting between the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page | Pool Moncloa / Fernando Calvo

A large part of the government's commitment to Castilla-La Mancha is to promote social and territorial cohesion in the region. The investment of €231 million in road and rail infrastructure supports this cohesion, as do the more than €100 million of the UNICO and UNICO 5G programmes to extend broadband throughout the territory, and the more than €46 million of the DUS 5,000 programme to develop projects in 125 small municipalities. In addition, the government has committed around €360 million for housing construction.

Aid to the primary sector and investment in energy were also at the centre of the meeting. Pedro Sánchez has emphasised aid to more than 33,500 farms to alleviate the drought and the consequences of the war in Ukraine, as well as aid for the energy transport network (12.1 million in 2023) and energy storage projects in the region (€40.8 million), being the community with the largest funding in this area.

Non official translation