The Spanish government has endured a steady drumbeat of internal discontent within the PSOE over deals between Pedro Sánchez and pro‑independence parties, with the latest episode viewed by insiders as merely another chapter in an enduring saga. The agreement between PSC and ERC to back Salvador Illa for regional president in Catalonia in exchange for a new funding framework, and with the central government’s blessing, has rekindled suspicions within the Socialist ranks. Yet the mood across the party is more broadly cautious than in prior moments, as several regions warn about the risks of a new model. The Moncloa continues to project calm. “Discontent has no real trajectory. Next week everything will be back to normal,” note aides to the prime minister.
Right now, the unease extends beyond long‑time opponents of Sánchez, such as Emiliano García‑Page in Castilla‑La Mancha and Javier Lambán in Aragon, and even new voices from Asturias joined the chorus this Thursday. Extremadura called for a meeting of the federal political committee to discuss the deal with ERC. Some federations backed the request, but the schedule rests with Sánchez as secretary general, and party leadership indicates that such a move is not currently in the works.
Meanwhile, Illa and other Socialist leaders have reached out in recent days to various regional barons to ease concerns. They offer three main arguments, as conveyed by the president’s circle.
The most significant centers on the political dimension of PSC’s return to the Generalitat through a pact with the separatists that disrupts Catalonia’s bloc politics, which have defined the last decade. The Moncloa team explains that Illa’s arrival will mark a turning point, closing the long process including the governance talks, the pardons, and the amnesty—three bold moves that once stirred internal debate. “Time will prove us right again. When Illa secures the investiture, we will be in a different landscape,” say Sánchez’s aides.
A Vague Solidarity
The second argument extends beyond Catalonia’s borders. Even as the pact with the Republicans would move Catalonia out of the standard system, the idea of “solidarity” among regions remains intact, the presidential circle insists.
The word appears ten times in the document signed by Catalan socialists and the Republicans, which envisions Catalonia taking over tax collection within its territory. The central government had previously resisted that possibility. “Solidarity must be explicit and transparent, with Catalonia contributing to solidarity with other autonomous communities so services across governments can reach comparable levels, assuming a similar fiscal effort,” the document states. It also makes clear that the approach will be limited by the principle of ordinality, ensuring poorer regions do not end up with less funding despite their needs.
But the pact does not specify how to calculate the quota Catalonia would pay to the central government to fund state services in the region, nor does it provide a formula for calculating the solidarity tax for less affluent communities. “Further details will be developed over the coming months,” the government simply says.
Underlying all of this, the same sources argue, is not the funding system itself but who governs. This is where Illa and other leaders try to dampen the disquiet. Sánchez has echoed this sentiment in two public appearances this week. “Under the same funding framework, Spain faced the deepest cuts to the Welfare State handled by autonomous communities. And in the last six years under the current government, transfers have increased by 300 billion euros. What changed? A political leadership shift. Previously it was a government led by the PP, now it is led by PSOE,” the prime minister said on Wednesday, suggesting that the economic context today is more favorable, while leaving the full picture to interpretation.
The conversations continue as factions within the PSOE weigh the political and fiscal implications. The overarching question remains: who truly shapes the future of Catalan autonomy and Spain’s territorial model? Within the party, the push is to present a united front that can navigate regional sensitivities while pursuing a broader reform agenda. And with Illa’s investiture looming, the internal debate wears on, even as government spokesmen seek to project steadiness and forward momentum.