The Government of the Generalitat is negotiating with the Box of Engineers the granting of the guarantees to the 34 indicted by the Court of Auditors for the foreign expenditure allocated to the process. In the past, as Vozpópuli has learned, the entity was in charge of guaranteeing, through “conformed checks”, that the money from the bonds had been collected from the independence leaders in different cases in the courts. From the entity they explain, at the request of this medium, that they respect the “confidentiality” of their clients, but unlike the rest of the entities, which have closed the door to collaborate with the Government in this matter, they do not deny this possibility.
During the announcement of the new decree law of the Generalitat to create a risk fund with 10 million euros To counter those affected in the case in the supervisory body, the Minister of Economy, Jaume Giró, explained that they are already negotiating with an entity. The sources consulted add that there are “two banks that work with the administration“who are studying the proposal of the Generalitat.
Precisely last Monday, June 28, the Department of Economy announced that the banking entities that “will manage the centralized treasury services” of the Generalitat were being expanded from two to five: “Caixabank, BBVA, Caja de Ingenieros, Banco Sabadell and Banco Santander will provide, from the end of July and during the next year, the services required by the corporate treasury and that of public entities “, read the press release. To date, it was Banco Sabadell and Caixabank who collaborated with the regional administration.
Unlike the previous bonds, which were covered through the citizen collection, now the Catalan Executive requests an involvement -and greater risk- from this entity. On the previous occasions, the check made by Caixa d’Enginyers was a usual procedure to move large economic amounts safely in the deposit that justice requested. But, in no case, was it a question of conferring a loan or guarantee.
The box of the ANC and Pablo Iglesias
This link between the fund chaired by José Oriol Sala with the orbit of nationalism is not new. In the ordinary General Assembly of the Catalan National Assembly (ANC) In 2016, held in Manresa, the use of the Caixa d’Enginyers as a bank was approved.
This is summarized in the minutes of the assembly: “The management, economic reports, and the budget for the new year, a proposal for an increase in fees, the use of Caixa d’Enginyers as a bank and become partners in Som Energia, as well as the call for elections for next May 14, have been approved by a majority of associates in various votes by show of hands. “
It was also the only bank that did not move its headquarters outside of Catalonia in the most tense moments of the process pro-independence, as did two other Catalan banks such as Caixabank and Banc Sabadell. This fact gave Caixa d’Enginyers a lot of popularity within nationalism, since they did not leave the territory at the most critical moments.
Although the entity has never positioned itself in favor of independence, they are part of this circle of companies located in strategic sectors -energy, insurance or finance- who want to be strictly Catalan obedience and compete with the big companies of the Ibex-35. As reported by Vozpópuli, there is a market niche for large Catalan companies who consider that their growth margin It involves investing in strategic sectors and in “country code”, alluding to Catalonia.
Caixa d’Enginyers was also the one who granted the mortgage in 2018 of 660,000 euros to Pablo Iglesias and Irene Monteros in very competitive conditions to buy her chalet in Galapagar. “Caixa d’Enginyers is well placed and gets along well with the Catalan power and sectors of Podemos,” these sources add.
In fact, with its inclusion as a reference fund for the Catalan public administration, the entity completes a process of integration in the territory. He also collaborates with a Master of the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) and maintains an agreement with the Girona College of Physicians, among others.
Giró’s strategy
The Catalan Minister of Economy has indicated that it will be the Catalan Institute of Finance (ICF) who will serve as a “financial vehicle” to act as a bridge between the applicants for the guarantee and the bank that grants the money. This public entity, according to the pre-agreement of the Government between ERC and the CUP, should “become a Catalan public bank”. Despite applying for such a license at the Bank of Spain, it is impossible for the idea to prosper within the context of the European Union.
In parallel, the Government of Pedro Sánchez has announced that will study constitutionality of the decree-law of the Government to create this risk fund to cover, in the last instance, the guarantees of the Court of Accounts, before appealing it to the Constitutional Court.
The Catalan Executive is aware of the possibility that this decree will be overturned or that some parts must be corrected so that the Government of Sánchez and, later, the Court of Accounts do not find an objection to this solution for the bonds. Nevertheless, the Catalan authorities have urged the ANC to mobilize the solidarity fund so that, in less than 15 days, they can be full again if the idea of the risk fund fails.
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