# Catalonia reforms, financing, and policy challenges > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/catalonia-political-reforms-and-language-debate > Updated: 2026-08-13T03:30:00.000Z. Sources: 46. Developments: 7. The Catalan parliament’s July-2026 internal-regulation reforms, modeled on European Parliament rules, define hate speech and prescribe fines for deputies. Simultaneously, President Salvador Illa has defended his cabinet stability, asserting that recent changes do not alter policy direction and confirming he will not change his ministers. Illa’s administration, now in its second year, maintains strong parliamentary support. The governing coalition, including the PSC, ERC, and Catalunya en Comú, has successfully passed most decrees and bills, frequently voting together to block requests for urgent parliamentary appearances, including those related to PISA assessment results. Illa has prioritized a new financing model, aiming for resolution in September, and announced €1.4 billion in upcoming public-works contracts. However, significant challenges persist. The education sector remains in crisis due to teacher strikes, the exclusion of Catalonia from PISA assessments, and controversial measures such as deploying police in schools. Housing policy is also under scrutiny as the Council of Constitutional Guarantees challenged a law intended to curb property speculation. On the second anniversary of his brief return to Catalonia in 2024, Junts leader Carles Puigdemont released new photographs to defend the political nature of his visit. He renewed his accusations against the Spanish Supreme Court, labeling its refusal to apply the amnesty law as “rebellion.” This milestone also highlighted ongoing friction between independence leaders and the Illa administration, with Junts leaders criticizing the government's management of public services and infrastructure. As the administration completes its second year, assessments of Illa’s presidency highlight a shift from the political focus of the ‘procés’ era toward a mandate of effective governance. While the administration aims to prioritize management, it faces scrutiny over results in transportation, infrastructure, education, and housing, alongside difficulties managing Renfe without a majority and ongoing tensions regarding national financing. ## Claims - Illa said he will not change his ministers. (disputed by 2 sources) - ERC and the Socialists called for more self‑criticism and changes in the government. (disputed) - Puigdemont released previously unseen photographs of his August 2024 arrival in Catalonia. (corroborated by 5 sources) - Carles Puigdemont criticized the Spanish Supreme Court for its refusal to apply the amnesty law. (corroborated by 4 sources) - The September 4 meeting of the Spanish Council of Fiscal and Financial Policy will end excuses for the financing model debate. (corroborated by 3 sources) - ERC spokesperson Gabriel Rufián accused Junts of making a fool of themselves during Puigdemont's return. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that EU law does not oppose the Catalan amnesty law. (corroborated by 3 sources) - Illa announced public‑works contracts worth €1.4 billion to be tendered by December. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Salvador Illa said Catalonia has regained stability and institutional normality. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Jordi Turull stated that Puigdemont's visit exposed the weaknesses of the Spanish State. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Salvador Illa was invested as President of the Generalitat during the events of August 2024. (corroborated by 2 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-08-13: Salvador Illa's presidency faces scrutiny over governance results An evaluation of Salvador Illa’s first two years leading the Generalitat, focusing on the transition from political activism to the practical challenges of regional governance and public services. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/salvador-illas-presidency-faces-scrutiny-over-governance-results ### 2026-08-08: Carles Puigdemont marks two years since brief Catalonia return Two years after his brief return to Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont released new photos and criticized the Spanish Supreme Court for refusing to apply the amnesty law. 16 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/catalonias-president-salvador-illa-marks-two-year-term-amid-criticism ### 2026-08-08: Salvador Illa confronts education crisis and housing reforms in Catalonia Salvador Illa's Catalan government battles teacher strikes, PISA exclusion, and contested housing‑speculation limits as it seeks to stabilise education and implement new property reforms. 4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/catalonia-government-under-salvador-illa-confronts-education-and-housing-crises ### 2026-08-02: Salvador Illa's Catalan Government Secures Broad Parliamentary Support Catalonia's President Salvador Illa enjoys strong parliamentary backing, with PSC, ERC and Comuns aligning on over 84% of initiatives and repeatedly blocking urgent appearances before the chamber. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/salvador-illas-catalan-government-secures-broad-parliamentary-support ### 2026-07-31: Salvador Illa Prioritizes Financing Reform and PISA Investigation Catalonia President Salvador Illa says Catalonia has regained stability, prioritises a new financing model, will push the PISA probe to conclusion and announced €1.4 bn in public‑works contracts. 28 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/catalan-parliament-adopts-antihate-speech-rules-as-regional-government-faces-education-crisis ### 2026-07-24: Catalonia's political climate faces criticism of media freedom and PSC language policies Critics say Catalonia lacks media pluralism and that the PSC is marginalizing Spanish, harming democratic discourse. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/catalonias-political-climate-faces-criticism-of-media-freedom-and-psc-language-policies ### 2026-07-22: Catalonia Parliament pushes hate‑speech rule changes as PSC leader defends cabinet reshuffle Catalonia's parliament moves to tighten hate‑speech sanctions while PSC head Salvador Illa defends a cabinet reshuffle amid opposition criticism of a stalled government. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/catalonia-parliament-pushes-hatespeech-rule-changes-as-psc-leader-defends-cabinet-reshuffle --- Cite as: Catalonia reforms, financing, and policy challenges. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/catalonia-political-reforms-and-language-debate