PP and PRC reach agreement on Cantabria's 2026 budget

On Friday, March 6, 2026, the People's Party (PP) and the Regionalist Party of Cantabria (PRC) reached an agreement that will enable the passage of the budget for this autonomous region for the current year. The signatories of the agreement were the President of the Government of Cantabria from the PP, José María Mazón, and the leader of the PRC and former regional president, Miguel Ángel Revilla. Thanks to this agreement, the PP-led minority coalition governing Cantabria has gained a majority in the 35-seat regional parliament, allowing it to pass the budget bill without needing to seek support from other political forces.

The agreement consists of 24 specific points. A key provision is the commitment to sign a collective bargaining agreement with teachers within a month, which aims to resolve the ongoing conflict in the education sector. The remaining points concern increased investment in healthcare, improvements to public transport, and strengthening social policy. PRC leader Miguel Ángel Revilla, speaking to the media, stressed that his party did not enter into a governing coalition with the PP but merely reached a budget agreement. „This is not a coalition, it's a budget agreement” – he stated, noting that the PRC will remain an opposition party to the Mazón government.

Cantabria, an autonomous region in northern Spain, has been characterized for decades by a complex political landscape, where agreements between parties of different ideological profiles are often necessary to ensure government stability and the passage of key laws, such as the budget. The Regionalist Party of Cantabria (PRC), founded in 1978, has traditionally advocated for regional autonomy and has often played the role of a swing party in negotiations between larger political forces.

Securing the agreement with the PRC has significant tactical importance for the People's Party. It allowed them to avoid having to seek budget support from the far-right Vox party, which could have exposed the government to criticism from the center and the left. Since the regional elections in May 2023, Cantabria has been governed by a minority PP government, which until now lacked sufficient support to pass a budget. The PRC, with its 4 seats, gives the PP coalition a majority in parliament. The President of the Government of Cantabria, José María Mazón, described the agreement as „historic” and „beneficial for all Cantabrians”. The next step will be to present the budget bill to the regional parliament and have it voted on.