PSOE rejects exploring a greater cut in short flights that Sumar requested and agrees to maintain the already agreed train limit

The Government's partners have been on the verge of colliding this Wednesday regarding the suppression of short flights, in an episode in Congress that has been resolved with Sumar lowering its intention to explore the possibility of expanding the scope of the elimination of short flights , to include trips between points with alternatives of three hours by train, and limiting it to journeys of 2.5 hours, as already contained in the coalition agreement between Pedro Sánchez and Yolanda Díaz.

Junts has also joined the support of the transactional amendment approved by the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge commission with which PSOE and Sumar have ended up agreeing on a wording identical to that already agreed upon by both parties in October of last year, within the agreement coalition.

Thus, these three parties have supported a non-legal proposal that asks the Government to “promote the reduction of domestic flights on those routes in which there is a rail alternative with a duration of less than 2.5 hours, except in cases of connection with hub airports that link with international routes”. Also to “analyze the directive that is being prepared within the European Commission on the taxation of energy products”, which provides for a tax on kerosene and which the airline sector is asking to veto, and “analyze the European initiatives related to restriction of private jet flights.

This has been the final request that Congress makes to the Government and that was based on a more ambitious claim raised by Sumar, which proposed going beyond the coalition agreement and “preparing a report that analyzes the reduction of emissions that would mean promoting the reduction of short-haul flights with a three-hour rail alternative, identifying all the impacts that this measure would have.

Sumar has defended the initiative as a “necessity” to fight climate change and reduce CO2 emissions and given the evidence that other countries such as France have done so.. Its deputy Júlia Boada has recalled that the French Government agreed with Air France to suppress three flights in exchange for rescuing its flag airline during Covid, without in Spain, where the Government helped “unconditionally” with 1,000 million to the airlines. have demanded anything of the sort. The airline sector indicates that this suppression of flights would only affect six that connect points less than three hours by train and would not cut more than 1.07% of emissions attributable to aviation and 0.21% to the sector. of transport. On the contrary, it warns that it would harm tourism, since it would affect flights that are largely international connections to or from a third destination.

During the debate, the PSOE warned that it would not support an initiative that could harm tourism. “We will not do anything that affects our tourism,” his deputy Arnau Ramírez has warned before proceeding to negotiate with Sumar the transactional amendment that has finally left the text the same as that already agreed upon, without the -socialist- ministers of Ecological Transition and Transport have shown interest in this issue.

The PSOE conditioned its support on the protection of the tourism industry and has placed more emphasis on the replacement of kerosene with sustainable fuels (SAF) in aviation. Also in line with what the airline sector requests, in intermodality that allows connecting high speed with airports.

“To eliminate short flights, we must take into account that there is a railway network that is up to the task, connecting all the large airports in our country with trains and especially high-speed trains.. That will make it easier and more bearable for all people to see that we can pollute less without economic harm to our people, companies and tourism,” said Ramírez, who has especially influenced the dependence on air transport that exists in the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Ceuta and Melilla. “I do not agree that only by eliminating flights we improve the environment, also in the investment and development of fuels that replace kerosene,” he stressed.

For the PP, Guillermo Mariscal has also alluded to the aviation sector's defense of short flights that are often a stage of international flights that would be done in the same way but from airports in other countries.. For this reason, he has accused “the left's obsession with being the best in the class” of making policies with “serious harm to citizens.”. As he said, there is an “alternative” that involves “changing sustainable fuels, which can be done.”

Agricultural fuel aid

In this Wednesday's session of the parliamentary commission and in full protest by farmers in the center of Madrid, a non-legislative proposal of the PP has also been advanced by which Congress urges the Government to “prepare and present within the deadline maximum of three months a Shock Plan for the promotion of biofuels” for the primary sector.

Until then, the popular deputy Juan Diego Requena has demanded that the Executive extend aid for the fuel used by farmers, ranchers, foresters and the fishing sector until there is an affordable sustainable alternative.. “We propose that you maintain the bonuses and reductions in special taxes on fuels for professional use until there are sustainable alternatives for farms,” he said.

The Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, announced last week after meeting with agricultural organizations that the incentives in force will remain, with an effective rate of 3.3 cents per liter instead of 37.9 – and the validity during 2024 of the reductions of 35% of the diesel bill and 15% of plastics and fertilizers in personal income tax. This Wednesday, the socialist deputy Araceli Poblador responded that the Government “has left room for maneuver to extend the measures to mitigate the rise in prices if necessary.”

On the contrary, PP and Vox have been left alone in the parliamentary commission, once again demanding that the Government change its plans to close all nuclear power plants between 2027 and 2035, in defense of another non-law proposal in which the party of far-right asked to “cancel the closure schedule” and allow the installation of new reactors and the PP, a “moratorium on closure” until they heard from the experts on “the need to promote and update the nuclear park.”

PP-Sumar 'Clamp' against depopulation

On the other hand, the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge commission has been the scene of the 'clamp' that the PP and Sumar have made to the PSOE in their demand that the Government fully execute and expand the operating aid that encourages the implementation of companies in the three provinces most affected by depopulation, Teruel, Cuenca and Soria, which they have agreed to describe as “ridiculous”.

Through the Chunta Aragonista deputy, Jorge Pueyo, Sumar has been the only group that has presented an amendment to the PP's non-law proposal that urged the Government to recover the special regime for the self-employed in Cuenca, Soria and Teruel, which allowed a flat rate of 80 euros for 3 years, regardless of your annual income. Also to implement “immediately” the operating aid in these three provinces with which the EU allows reductions in labor costs of up to 20%.

Puello has shown his support for this initiative – “regardless of who proposes it” – and has criticized that the Government's aid only reaches 5% instead of 20% and not to labor costs, but to the costs of common contingencies. , which are also “delayed” and stranded due to the non-existence of the General State Budget for 2024 at the moment.

His amendment was to demand that not only companies that set up new establishments in these provinces but also those that already exist can benefit from this aid.. The PP has accepted it and has moved forward with the votes in favor of Vox and Sumar and the abstention of the PSOE, which has reproached the PP for going against aid created by the socialist Government and has criticized a bill ” liar, cheat” and “poorly written”. “I throw you a challenge,” said the socialist Luis Alfonso Rey to the PP. “If [operating aid] is improved in the Budgets, are the parliamentarians of Cuenca, Soria and Teruel going to support them?”. Bildu and Junts have also abstained.