FC Barcelona’s Manager thinks winning all three points at the ever-difficult Coliseum Alfonso Pérez would be the best way to deal with the problem of so many absent international players being away this week. On the five-point lead over Real Madrid, Vilanova says “the important thing is that we’ve got nine points”.
By the end of the year, Catalonia must meet a 1.5% deficit target. According to the Spanish Finance Minister, Cristóbal Montoro, the Autonomous Community governments are heading “in the right direction” to honour the deficit objective for 2012. The Catalan Government had a 0.38% deficit at the end of July, according to its own sources. This represents a €767 million deficit, while at the end of July 2011 it had a 2.09 billion deficit, which represents a 63% deficit reduction.
At a conference in Madrid, the President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, warned Spain about the “great mistake” of downplaying the massive demonstration for independence. No members of the Spanish Government or leaders of the Socialist Party (PSOE) attended the event, which is unusual. In front of a crowded audience with many foreign press, Catalan MPs and businesspeople, Mas explained that Catalonia “has been trying for decades to reform Spain to make it our state”. However, Catalans are now “tired” from “the lack of respect” and the “disloyalty”. “If Spain denies the fact of Catalonia being a nation”, “many issues will not be solved”. Then “it is logical for a people to solve their future “peacefully, democratically and in a strictly European way”.
“Listen, and listen carefully. Do not get angry if you don’t like what you see. And put solutions on the table, if you have them”, the President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas told Spain the day after the 1.5 million strong demonstration for Catalonia’s independence. He also stated he will work to create “state structures”. The Spanish Government refused to comment directly on the event, stating it should be analysed “coldly”. However, it said Spain and Catalonia should have other priorities.
The President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, leader of the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition (CiU), sent a warning message to the rest of Spain and in particular to the Spanish Government. “If there is not an agreement on the economic bases”, “Catalonia’s way to freedom is open”. The Spanish Prime Minister and leader of the People’s Party (PP), Mariano Rajoy, stated on Tuesday morning that Spain and Catalonia should have other priorities. The Spanish Government and most of the rest of Spain are against a new fiscal agreement between Catalonia and Spain, reducing the Catalan solidarity contribution, which represents some €17 billion per year. Furthermore, the Catalan PP has stated it will stop giving its parliamentary support to CiU.
The German Chancellor is “impressed” with Spain’s reforms. According to Angela Merkel, the reforms are headed “in the right direction”, they need to be pursued “at all government levels” and they will need “time to show their results”, “as it happened in Germany ten years ago” with their structural reforms. Angela Merkel met with the Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in Madrid, the day the European Central Bank announced it was buying sovereign bonds. Merkel stated that reforms have to continue “at all government levels”. The Chancellor also defended the European Union as a project guaranteeing peace and prosperity, and the Euro as “our common currency”.
The debt of Spanish families has been reduced by 4% compared to July 2011, reaching €848.4 billion by the end of July 2012. 77% of this family debt is related to real estate loans. Private companies passed from a global debt of €863.9 billion in July 2011 to a debt of €804.2 billion a year later.
A wonderful first half goal from the Brazilian full back made it three wins out of three for FC Barcelona. The Catalans are two points clear at the top of the Spanish League table going into September’s international break.
The decision by Spanish Government to restrict access to the public healthcare system could leave 600,000 people in Catalonia (8% of the population) without primary and specialised medical attention. 180,000 of these people would be foreigners. The Catalan Minister for Health, Boi Ruiz, explained that the measure aims to guarantee the universal access to healthcare to all the population, independent of their legal status, but at the same time avoid healthcare tourism.
After taking it for the last three years, Barça lost their Spanish Super Cup title on Wednesday night, going down narrowly in Madrid and losing the tie on the away goals rule. Higuaín and Cristiano Ronaldo put Real Madrid ahead early on and Barça played with 10 men for more than an hour after Adriano was sent off. Messi brought Barça back into the tie with a superb free kick just before the break. Pedro, Alba, Montoya and Messi all came close to getting the goal that would have meant Barça retained their title.
The Catalan Government stated it will meet the 1.5% deficit target for the Autonomies, although it considers it to be abusive considering they manage the main public services and the Spanish Government has kept for itself all the flexibility allowed by Brussels. In addition, the Catalan Government and the Catalan economy suffer from a perpetual lack of investment by the Spanish Government, which takes away 8.5% of Catalonia’s GDP each year, a quantity much higher than the deficit target. The day after Catalonia’s request for €5 billion from the Liquidity Fund, there was no recognition of Catalonia’s fiscal deficit at a Spanish or European level. There were only calls to continue with the austerity efforts. However, the Catalan Government warns of a “serious problem” if the Liquidity Fund is not in place on time by September.
Barça will face off against Real Madrid on Wednesday evening (22.30 CET) as the Catalans look to claim their first title under Tito Vilanova. FC Barcelona come into the match against Real Madrid with a 3-2 advantage from the away leg of the Spanish Super Cup. Any result from the last Real Madrid v. Barça matches at the Bernabéu (five victories and two draws) would be enough for FC Barcelona to claim the title. Tito Vilanova may have to rule out Carles Puyol, who sustained a cheekbone fracture in this weekend’s game against Osasuna, even though the captain travelled with the team to Madrid.
The player's recovery will mark his availability for the return leg of the Spanish Supercup against Real Madrid to be played on Wednesday. Puyol fractured his cheekbone in a collision with Lamah with 15 minutes still on the clock in the match against Osasuna (1-2). The Barça captain played the entire 90 minutes of the game.
Answering a letter from the Catalan President, the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, stated he would study the proposal voted by the Catalan Parliament which aims to reduce the solidarity contribution from Catalonia to the rest of Spain and have all taxes raised by a Catalan-run agency. However, Rajoy had previously stated this issue was out of discussion, especially in the current economic context. A vast majority of the Catalan Parliament considers that it is precisely due to the financial stress provoked by the crisis that it is urgent to debate the excessive transfer of revenues from Catalonia to the rest of Spain. The Spanish PM also stated he has agreed to meet with the Catalan President to discuss this proposal, but he expects to talk about many other issues.
Compared to a year ago, the Catalan Healthcare System spent 24.6% less last July than in the same month of 2011. In July 2011, Catalonia spent €143.52 million on pharmaceutical products while it spent €108.10 million last month, when the drug prescription fee began and citizens started to pay a greater share of the cost of prescription drugs. Furthermore, drug prescriptions fell by 20%. In the whole of Spain, pharmaceutical spending also decreased by 24% last July, compared to a year ago.