The Government welcomes the fruitful dialogue with the autonomous communities to place citizens at the core of public policies

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, has continued this Thursday with his round of meetings with the regional presidents, with whom he shared the importance of a fruitful dialogue between the executive and the autonomous regions to place citizens at the core of public policies.

The chief executive received at Moncloa Palace the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, the President of Aragon, Jorge Azcón, and the President of Navarre, María Chivite, to whom he has conveyed the government's desire to increase the financing of each territory on an annual basis. After each meeting, the Minister for Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, reported on its content and insisted on dialogue as the central axis of the executive's action.

Willingness to reach an agreement on migration and commitment to the Canary Islands Agenda

In his meeting with the President of the Canary Islands, the President of the Government insisted on the need for a national agreement to provide an urgent solution to the migration issue, stressing the government's commitment to care for migrant minors. "This government is the one that has put a permanent solution for unaccompanied minors on the table", Minister Ángel Víctor Torres said at the end of the meeting.

Pedro Sánchez and Fernando Clavijo agree on migration being one of the key issues for the region. The chief executive has called for a solidarity response from all the autonomous communities to reach an emergency solution. Pedro Sánchez has assured that the government will continue to provide funding to accompany the over-dimensioning of public services derived from migration; underlining his objective of approving the reform of the Immigration Law with the support of all parties.

The chief executive focused on the resources allocated to the region under his mandate. In the last six years, the Canary Islands have received investments worth €38 billion. In 2024, the islands received record funding of €7.32 billion.

In turn, Pedro Sánchez highlighted the high level of compliance with the commitments made to the Canary Islands, and expressed the government's willingness to continue to fulfil the Canary Islands Agenda.

Fight against depopulation and commitment to industry in Aragon

In his meeting with the president of Aragon, the chief executive also emphasised the figures that back up the government's commitment to the region. Aragon will receive record funding of over €5.16 billion in 2024, which is 16.5% more than in 2023.

Aragon's commitment to territorial cohesion and the fight against depopulation. Pedro Sánchez agreed with Jorge Azcón on the importance of updating and consolidating the Teruel Investment Fund (FITE), whose allocation will increase from €60 to €86 million following the bilateral agreement reached on Thursday. "This is co-governance to take important decisions for the citizens," Torres said.

Pedro Sánchez highlighted the government's investment efforts to make Aragon an industrial benchmark. The €168 million of the Strategic Project for the Connected Electric Vehicle (PERTE VEC), with special emphasis on the Stellantis plant in Figueruelas (the recently approved €133 million), are a clear demonstration of this commitment to industrial growth in the region.

In terms of infrastructures, the President of the Government showed his willingness to open a bilateral working group between the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility and the competent bodies in Aragon to make progress on the region's transport agenda.

Navarre: commitment to self-government and the transfer of competences

In his meeting with the President of the Autonomous Community of Navarre, the President of the Government highlighted the increase in investment in the territory, which in 2023 received 340% more than in 2017 (€81.2 million compared to €18.4 million). Under the mandate of Pedro Sánchez, Navarre has accumulated an executed investment of €381 million. In addition to these figures, more than €750 million of European funds have been implemented by the region.

The chief executive expressed his willingness to actively collaborate with Navarre to continue making progress in the transfer of powers to strengthen its model of self-government. Scholarships, R+D+i policies and the possible transfer of the AP-68 are part of the common agenda to make progress in terms of transfers.

In turn, Pedro Sánchez highlighted the investment of €170 million destined to the development of the high-speed railway in the region, as well as the €14 million for the construction of social rental housing.

Non official translation