In an interview conducted with the EFE agency, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Maria Jesus Montero, outlined the current trajectory for regional funding reform. She indicated that the most significant changes to regional financing are likely to be pursued after the provisional results of the current year are reaffirmed. The plan, she noted, would then be handed over to the Autonomous Communities following the summer period. If the minister’s timetable holds, the Autonomous Financing Law, which has expired, would not be amended for another year, thus delaying what many communities see as a critical overhaul of the funding model. This delay has broad implications, as it postpones a reform that it is widely described as essential for remedying long-standing underfunding in the most challenged autonomous regions.
Across Spain, the Valencian Community and Andalusia remain at the forefront of calls for a transitional framework designed to offset the inequities inherent in the existing system. Until a new regional financing model is approved—one that promises to end the persistent disparities—these regions are positioning transitional measures as the most pragmatic interim solution. The argument centers on ensuring that funding decisions move away from historically entrenched imbalances toward a framework that better reflects regional needs and growth potential.
Montero emphasized that a concrete agreement among regional administrations is a prerequisite before any substantive reform can proceed. She suggested that the pace of consensus-building has slowed, particularly in light of upcoming regional elections, and that a broad agreement within the key opposition blocs remains elusive. The minister argued that, without a clear and malleable set of criteria for the new financing scheme, it would be difficult to advance a credible reform package. In practical terms, this means the path to revising the Autonomous Financing Law is likely to encounter additional delays, as political alignment among principal actors remains unsettled.
Reaction to the minister’s statements from other regional authorities and political groups was swift. The Valencian Community’s Finance Minister welcomed the remarks as a constructive step within the broader dialogue on regional funding. He noted that the discussion at the most recent Financial and Fiscal Policy Council reflected a shared sense of urgency among autonomous governments, and he viewed the minister’s outreach as a positive signal for ongoing negotiations. At the same time, figures such as Carlos Mazon, the head of a regional political formation, raised concerns about the lack of a concrete proposal. He warned that it is difficult to assess the intentions behind an idea that has not yet been fully crafted or published. He underscored that responsible discussion requires proposals that are fully formed and that clarify how reform goals would be achieved in practice, including the criteria that would guide distribution and accountability.