A rare political alignment saw the pro-independence party Junts per Catalunya vote alongside right-wing unionist parties on Wednesday in a failed attempt to abolish the region’s inheritance tax. This proposal temporarily united Junts with the People’s Party (PP), Vox, and the far-right Aliança Catalana. However, a coalition of left-wing parties in the Catalan Parliament ultimately defeated it.
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The vote highlighted a clear ideological divide, momentarily overshadowing the traditional independence debate. One bloc advocated for lower taxes, while another defended the tax as a tool for social redistribution. The initiative, a bill originally presented by the PP, ultimately failed. Amendments from the Socialists’ Party of Catalonia (PSC), the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), and the Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) successfully blocked its passage.
A Contentious Tax
Like in other Spanish autonomous communities, the inheritance tax in Catalonia is managed at a regional level. This progressive tax applies rates ranging from 7% to 32% to assets inherited upon a person’s death. The final amount depends on the inheritance’s value and the heir’s relationship to the deceased, with significant reductions for close family members.
Supporters view it as a crucial mechanism for ensuring equality of opportunity and funding public services, while opponents decry it as an unfair form of double taxation on assets already taxed during a person’s lifetime. The debate over its existence is a recurring fault line in Catalan and Spanish politics.
An Alliance of Convenience
The session in the Palau del Parlament de Catalunya saw parties typically at loggerheads find common ground. The PP spokesperson, Juan Fernández, argued for abolition on grounds of fairness. “We have an obligation to eliminate this tax for the justice of all Catalans,” he stated. “If not, you will be putting obstacles in the way of the Catalans who are making this country grow.”
Junts MP Antoni Castellà framed his party’s support as a matter of “social justice,” arguing the tax disproportionately affects the middle and working classes. He cited surveys from the Centre d’Estudis d’Opinió (CEO) suggesting that 80% of the public finds the tax unjust. “The injustice of this tax does not lie with the very rich, who always escape it,” Castellà argued, adding that it particularly hurts “the working classes, the self-employed, and the middle classes of the country.” He linked the need for tax relief to what his party terms Spain’s “fiscal plundering” of Catalonia, a sentiment that often informs debates over the region’s budgetary powers.
Vox and Aliança Catalana echoed this position. Joan Garriga of Vox advocated for a low-tax model, pledging, “When we govern, we will repeal this tax.” Sílvia Orriols, leader of Aliança Catalana, delivered a sharp rebuke to the left-wing parties, asking, “Did they vote for you to generate wealth or to loot tombs? Leave the dead in peace.”
The Left-Wing Defence
In response, a united front of left-wing parties defended the tax’s role in a progressive fiscal system. They repeatedly cited a key statistic: that around 70% of Catalans either do not pay the tax or are liable for a token amount of less than one euro due to exemptions.
“What are you trying to do, equate us with the Ayuso model?” asked PSC deputy Susana Martínez, referencing the low-tax policies of Madrid’s regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso. Albert Salvadó of ERC, Junts’ former coalition partner, called the tax “essential to guarantee equality of opportunities.” The often-fraught relationship between ERC and Junts has been a defining feature of Catalan politics, with their voting alignments closely scrutinised.
David Cid of the Comuns reminded Junts that it had supported the tax while in government with ERC. He also corrected the PP’s talking points, noting that surviving spouses are effectively exempt in Catalonia due to a 99% tax credit. “It would be good if you knew what you were talking about,” he said.
The vote’s failure maintains the status quo for now, but it lays bare the deep ideological fractures on economic policy within the Catalan Parliament. As reported by Ara Cat, the debate clearly showed that on fiscal matters, the traditional pro-independence and unionist camps can easily splinter, revealing a more conventional left-right political spectrum.
