Salvador Illa secures first Catalan budget with ERC and Comuns support, ending three-year impasse

Budget vote

The Catalan parliament approved on Thursday the 2026 budget with 69 votes in favour from PSC, ERC, and Comuns, and 66 against from Junts, PP, Vox, CUP, and Aliança Catalana. One Junts deputy mistakenly voted yes. President Salvador Illa thanked the supporting parties, stating:

“I ask for the floor to thank the groups that supported the Budget, to extend a hand to the rest of the groups that may want to work for the benefit of the country, and to commit the Government's action to deploy this Budget.”

Economy Minister Alícia Romero celebrated the vote, saying

“Catalonia needs stability, certainty and tools to continue transforming and advancing.”

Spending priorities

The budget allocates 49,162 million euros, a 22.8% rise compared to the last approved accounts in 2023. Public sector spending totals 54,747 million euros when including all entities, up 24% from 2023. The government highlighted investment, which reaches 4,146 million euros in the public sector, a 45% increase from 2023. The largest departmental allocations are health (13,840 million), education and vocational training (8,356 million), social rights and inclusion (4,248 million), and territory, housing and ecological transition (3,453 million). These areas account for 64% of total spending, with the government emphasising that three of every four euros go to welfare state services.

Health13,840

Education8,356

Social rights4,248

Territory & Housing3,453

Health

13840

Education

8356

Social rights

4248

Territory & Housing

3453

Data from the article text

Political concessions

The approval followed months of negotiations in which Illa yielded key demands to ERC and Comuns. For the republicans, the government agreed to boost funding for the Catalan Tax Agency, with over 527 million euros, and to advance the "singular financing" model that grants Catalonia ordinality in regional funding. Other concessions include management of Barcelona's Zona Franca, greater participation in El Prat airport control, and a new railway line. Comuns, in turn, secured limits on speculative housing purchases.

Legislative outlook

The budget provides Illa with political stability for the remainder of the legislature, likely until the scheduled 2028 election. The prospect of a double early election, with Catalan and national votes coinciding, has faded. ERC's spokesperson Ester Capella warned:

“There are no more excuses to postpone decisions, not to deploy agreements and not to lead.”

Opposition parties criticised the accounts for expanding spending and tax burden, while Junts eyes next year's municipal elections and awaits the EU Court of Justice ruling on leader Carles Puigdemont's status on July 16.