Andalusian Socialists skip 2027 budget debate to join 11 November general strike

PSOE-A opts out of the budget plenary

The Socialist group in the Andalusian Parliament will not attend the totality debate on the 2027 regional budget on Wednesday, 11 November, the day the general strike is due. María Jesús Montero, secretary general of the PSOE-A, confirmed the decision on Tuesday, 10 November, at the party's regional headquarters in Seville. She had said her deputies would stand 'with the people' if the PP-A did not change the plenary date. The PP-A and Vox, which govern together after the regional election of 17 May, have kept the date. Adelante Andalucía and Por Andalucía, the other two opposition groups on the left, will also stay away, so the budget will be processed without debate in the chamber.

“We will be where we always are, with the people, defending their rights and for policies that let growth be shared.”

What the absence means for the budget

The 28 socialist deputies will not be able to defend their amendments to the totality of the budget bill, nor take part in the debate on planned changes to the Audit Office of Andalusia. ABC reports that they can still take part in the votes scheduled for Thursday, 12 November. The regional Parliament's rules require deputies to attend plenary sessions and the committees they sit on. Parliament fixed the 11 November plenary on 23 July, well before the strike was called. Montero acknowledged that the budget debate 'has always been sacred', but accused the PP of refusing to move the date. El Confidencial recalls that the date was moved once before, so that finance councillor Carolina España could attend an event in London.

Government response and the right to strike

Carolina España, the Andalusian vice-president and councillor for economy, finance and European funds, criticised the decision in an audio message. She called the absence 'a lack of respect and contempt' towards Andalusians and said the strike is 'the excuse for not debating the budget'. She argued that politicians have no right to strike under the Parliament's rules and that deputies are obliged to attend plenary sessions. The Junta celebrates that the totality debate will take place, and she said the Wednesday session will have no opposition to answer her defence of the accounts. She added the following about the budget.

“Approving a budget is the greatest legal and democratic obligation of any government.”

Strike and political positions

The strike was first promoted by the tenant movement Sindicato de Inquilinas, and later backed by UGT and CCOO. El Mundo reports that the PSOE and the national government joined it from the start. On 6 October Montero described the strike as 'against the opposition', but on Tuesday she said it is not aimed at anyone and is in defence of workers' rights. Elías Bendodo, the PP's vice-secretary for regional policy and a candidate for Congress in Málaga, said the strike 'will be a failure'. Montero's demands include higher wages, closing the gender pay gap and protecting sick leave from control by mutual insurance companies. Oskar Martín, the UGT leader in Andalusia, said all administrations should feel addressed by the strike, which he described as a popular clamour.

“All administrations have to feel called upon.”