Now it's my turn. Like a prince over the mussel rafts, replicating the meme of the Celtarra Iago Aspas, the Ministry of Housing took positions minutes after the rental decree-law fell.
The department headed by Isabel Rodríguez announced that, among other measures, it would try to reactivate the negotiation of the reform on seasonal rentals and complement it with tax incentives, in line with the disposition shown by Junts in recent days, and even Sumar.
The reform is being processed in Congress, at the initiative of tenant unions, and it got stuck awaiting its vote in the Housing Commission at the end of last year.
A few months ago, the Ministry of Housing proposed approving the regulation by decree-law and attracting Junts with tax incentives for landlords who ‘freeze’ rents upon renewal of their contracts. Puigdemont's party was the formation that was missing to join the agreement on rent and housing regulation, and Housing offered the fiscal route.
However, that path scared the rest of the left-wing parties, including Sumar from within the government. They did not tolerate that, without adopting intervention measures, tax breaks were facilitated for landlords. Their embitterment left this possibility dead in the water
Positions are modulated
The situation, months later, is different. Or at least that is the analysis made in Housing, which during the last weeks has chosen a secondary role in defending the rent decree-law. It was Sumar who took the initiative to pressure and save a norm that had been approved despite the PSOE's resistance in the Council of Ministers.
Once the decree-law has fallen, Housing offers to focus efforts on this initiative and try to attract Junts to reach a broad agreement with which to unblock the initiative. Minister Isabel Rodríguez assured this Wednesday in Congress that the discussion of these last few days has opened a “window of opportunity”.
Sumar was able to ascertain in conversations with Carles Puigdemont's party their willingness to negotiate if tax cuts were put on the table. One of the latest demands was to exempt self-employed individuals with an annual turnover of less than 85,000 euros from VAT declaration, but in housing matters, they propose deductions in personal income tax for tenants, landlords, and individuals paying mortgages.
Aware of this priority, in Sumar they opened the door to accepting tax cuts if that entailed saving the automatic extension of contracts and the rent caps.
A provision that Housing now seeks to take advantage of in the negotiation in Congress. The Ministry sees an opportunity to focus efforts on the initiative being processed by Congress and to move it forward, with whatever contributions are necessary. The formula, Rodríguez understands, "is indifferent," but his bet is to "take advantage" now of this initiative that is already being processed.
Sumar's bet is another decree-law
The Ministry's bet is not the same as that of its partner in the Government. Sumar proposes to bring a new decree-law to Congress to bring the measures as soon as possible, but this time worked hand in hand with the groups to ensure its validation.
From this training they see it possible to establish a negotiation to attract Junts and the PNV to re-approve the extension of the contracts. Their willingness to accept tax reductions for landlords, if their proposals can thus be applied.
Housing sources do not rule out that these measures may be discussed again, but they offer for this the debate on the reform of seasonal rentals, rather than the option of approving a new decree-law.