The Economist comenta en l’article All must have prizes (30 juliol 2009) que tothom ha guanyat amb el nou sistema de finançament, en especial Catalunya. Des Col·lectiu Emma responem que Catalunya, si es compleix (que no està garantit) el nou sistema de finançament, passarà de tenir un dèficit fiscal del 10% al 8% a l’any, 2300€ per català i any. Amb aquest dèficit fiscal (per cert, no comparable a cap altre regió de cap estat desenvolupat), difícilment es pot considerar a Catalunya guanyadora de res.
El Col·lectiu Emma som un grup de catalans que volem que el món ens conegui com som, no com diuen que som. Per això volem respondre a visions esbiaxades que es donin sobre els catalans a la premsa internacional. També volem reservar un espai per a les opinions favorables que trobem en diaris de paper o electrònics que tenen ressò internacional.
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A Public Reply to The Economist (III)
Dear Sirs,
One perverse feature of Spain’s admittedly flawed devolution system is that it’s taken for granted that some constituents will keep feeding the state’s kitty while others are guaranteed an open-ended free ride. Mr. Zapatero’s latest fiscal sleight of hand (“All must have prizes”, July 30, 2009) doesn’t even pretend to change that. And yet, The Economist is quick to declare Catalonia –a net contributor to the tune of 10% of its GDP, 21 billion euros a year– a winner. In fact, all that can be guessed from the Government’s muddled math is that if all goes well –a big if given the dire condition of the country’s economy– by 2012 Catalans might –just might– end up handing out to the state every year only 17 billion euros more than they’ll get back in public services and investments, a figure that still represents 8% of Catalan GDP. In other words, every Catalan will be sending to Madrid, year in and year out, 2,300 euros, or one and a third times the equivalent of the average monthly salary, in exchange for nothing. Would anyone care to explain how that makes Catalans winners in the Spanish game?
