Madrid boycotts regional financing council as other PP regions refuse walkout

Madrid calls for collective boycott

The Community of Madrid announced on Thursday, 3 September 2026, that it will not attend Friday's scheduled session of the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council (CPFF). Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso urged all autonomous communities governed by the Popular Party (PP) to boycott the gathering to prevent the council from reaching the quorum of half its members required by its internal regulations. Madrid's executive conveyed this strategy to PP national leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo following an appearance together at a Ceuta defense rally at Madrid City Hall on Wednesday. The regional government stated that the financing reform resulted from bilateral talks between Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Catalonia, accusing the administration of seeking to clear debt accumulated by Catalan pro-independence managers and Catalan President Salvador Illa.

The only way this agreement cannot materialize tomorrow in the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council is for there to be no quorum at the meeting.

Conservative regions reject the walkout

Madrid's push for an across-the-board boycott collapsed as regional leaders across Spain confirmed their attendance for the Friday session. Administrations including Juan Manuel Moreno's Andalusia, Jorge Azcón's Aragon, José Manuel Rueda's Galicia, and Juan Francisco Pérez Llorca's Valencian Community rejected the walkout strategy. Valencian government spokesperson Miguel Barrachina announced that regional Finance Minister José Antonio Rovira would attend the meeting to vote against the reform package. Barrachina explained that the central government had dismissed Valencian proposals, which included establishing a temporary leveling fund, avoiding below-average per capita financing, and using single-year population data rather than broader demographic periods.

The proposal has not managed to please more than one autonomous community.

Treasury reaction and legislative next steps

The Ministry of Treasury, led by Minister Arcadi España, characterized Madrid's boycott call as irresponsible and described the attempt to disrupt the council as institutional hooliganism. Ministry officials noted that common-regime regions had confirmed their presence after participating in a preparatory meeting in Madrid on Thursday morning. The central government had previously rescheduled the CPFF meeting from 29 July 2026 after PP-led regions requested additional time and data to evaluate technical details. Treasury representatives stated that the current funding framework has remained expired for 12 years and emphasized that additional resources are required for healthcare, education, social services, and housing. The ministry added that final legislative authority over the model rests with the Congress of Deputies, where the reform must ultimately face debate and a vote.