The socialist deputy for Las Palmas and general secretary of the PSOE of Lanzarote, María Dolores Corujo, has "exposed" Coalición Canaria in the Congress of Deputies for its "lack of political ambition and for using self-government as a discourse while transferring to the Government of Spain the responsibilities that correspond to the autonomous Executive".
“Coalición Canaria renounces self-government and delegates to Sánchez what it should resolve from the Canary Islands,” stated Corujo, who chided the nationalist party for its permanent tendency to demand from the State while governing the Canary Islands alongside the Popular Party and having its own powers to respond to the islands' problems.
During her speech, Corujo defended that the Government of Pedro Sánchez "has always legislated recognizing the specificities of the Canary Islands" and recalled that the Royal Decree-Law in response to the Middle East crisis contemplates concrete measures for the Archipelago, as already happened during the war in Ukraine and, especially, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The socialist deputy stressed that, in the most difficult moments, Pedro Sánchez's Executive deployed "the greatest social shield in history", with protection measures for families, workers and companies, and with special attention to the Canary Islands due to its strong dependence on tourism.
“This is our service sheet, not empty speeches,” stated Corujo, who recalled that the commitments of the Government of Spain with the Canary Islands “are demonstrated in the BOE”.
In this regard, the deputy explained that the decree includes compensatory measures for the specific surcharges of island electricity generation systems, aid to reduce taxes on agricultural diesel, measures against the rising cost of fertilizers, and support for regular maritime transport of passengers and roll-on/roll-off cargo.
Faced with that response from the State, Corujo reproached the Government of the Canary Islands of CC and PP for the "weakness of its own economic measures". The deputy recalled that, while the Basque Government has allocated 1,047 million euros to compensate for the impact of the war on families and businesses, the Canary Executive has approved barely 29.8 million euros, of which 15 million come from the Government of Spain.
“That is to say, the Government of the Canary Islands of Coalición Canaria and Partido Popular is only going to put up 15 million euros of its own, while our land continues to suffer from poverty, unemployment, and risk of social exclusion rates that should demand a much more serious response,” he criticized.
Corujo considered "outrageous" that the autonomous Government limits its contribution to that amount while it has stopped collecting 36 million euros in 2024 for bonifying taxes to those who inherit more than 300,000 euros per person.
“That is the true priority of the Government of CC and PP: little money to protect families and a lot of fiscal effort to benefit those who have the most,” stated the socialist deputy.
Likewise, María Dolores Corujo responded to the proposal by Coalición Canaria to ask the Government of Spain for the flexibilization of fiscal rules, recalling that this competence "corresponds to Europe and that the European Council has already spoken out against relaxing deficit control measures".
For Corujo, Coalición Canaria "resorts once again to the same old strategy: demanding outside what it does not manage inside." The deputy defended that the Canary Islands "need an autonomous government that exercises its powers, truly uses self-government and puts sufficient own resources to respond to the needs of the citizenry."
“Canary Islands defends itself with facts, not with empty speeches. And the facts show that Pedro Sánchez has been, is, and will continue to be up to the task for the Canary Islands,” he concluded.