Salvador Illa Secures Catalonia Budget Approval with ERC and Comuns Support

The Catalan Parliament voted to approve the first 2026 budget of the Illa government, ending a three‑year period of provisional extensions. The accounts total €49.162 billion, a 22.8 % increase over 2023, with €13.84 billion allocated to health, €8.36 billion to education and €4.25 billion to social rights. The budget foresees non‑financial revenue of €48.231 billion, a projected deficit of 0.1 % of GDP and a reduction of the regional debt ratio to around 27 % of GDP.

Approval came with the backing of ERC and the Comuns, securing the Illa administration’s legislative programme through 2028. The vote tally was 69 in favour (including one accidental Junts vote) and 66 against, with opposition from Junts, the PP, Vox, the CUP and the Catalan Alliance. Opposition parties criticised the spending plan and warned of future fiscal constraints, while the PPC and Junts also voiced objections, describing the budget as a continuation of a “failed socialist model”.

The budget’s passage provides political stability for the regional government, allowing it to pursue infrastructure projects such as the orbital railway line, the airport authority, and other agreed measures, while addressing ongoing crises in the Rodalies rail network and the education sector.