The fight for fair funding
The Community of Madrid has intensified its demand to the central government for a debt amounting to €3 billion, related to the funding of the dependency system. The Minister of Family, Youth and Social Affairs, Ana Dávila, has denounced what she considers a "political" criterion in the allocation of resources, arguing that this situation affects not only Madrid but many autonomous communities.
Dávila has emphasised that with the owed funds, more than 70,000 new residential places could be created, thus tripling the current capacity of the system in Madrid. Furthermore, these resources would allow for the construction of 1,200 base centres to assess disability and guarantee essential services such as Early Attention for all children not only in Spain but also in Europe for a whole year.
In her speech before the Senate, Dávila highlighted a concerning reality: "Out of every 30 days in the life of a dependent person in Madrid, the Community finances 27, while the Spanish government only covers 3." This disparity contravenes what is stipulated by law, which establishes an equitable distribution of funding between the State and the autonomous communities.
Although the problem is widespread, Dávila emphasised the exceptions that seem to be linked to political criteria. She specifically mentioned the Basque Country, where the State does guarantee 50% of the funding for the dependency system. "There is no social criterion behind this; it is purely political," she stated.
The minister also criticised the government for its willingness to transfer nearly €5 billion to the Generalitat of Catalonia, while denying vital resources to other autonomous communities like Madrid. "The problem is not technical; it is a matter of priorities," Dávila emphasised.
Dávila concluded her speech by reminding Minister Pablo Bustinduy of her request to discuss this debt and lamented his ironic response to such a request. "This phase will pass," she said determinedly. "But history will remember those who did not fight for their citizens when they needed it most."
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