Cecot considers the new funding "a step forward" but still insufficient

Barcelona"At Cecot, we welcome the government's proposal, but we cannot confuse this step forward with a definitive solution: it is not a special economic agreement, nor does it come close to the figures that Catalonia requires." This was the assessment of Xavier Panés, president of the employers' association Cecot, regarding the new financing model for Catalonia, during the association's traditional press conference held at the beginning of the year. In this regard, the organization welcomes the new financing model as a "step forward" in addressing Catalonia's fiscal deficit, but regrets that it is insufficient and, therefore, will not be the definitive solution to the region's "structural problem."

When asked what position he expects Junts to ultimately adopt – which has thus far opposed the new model – Panés was emphatic: "We are not political actors, therefore, I cannot say what Junts should or should not say; for us, this agreement opens a debate that we believe is better, and we think it would be good to consider this matter closed," Panés stated. According to the president of Cecot, the 4.7 billion euros that could come to Catalonia with the new system could be "very useful" for improving services and investments, but he insisted that they fall far short of what is "necessary" to guarantee a fair and sufficient system, and lamented that "it is not an economic agreement."

A 2026 "of moderate growth"

Aside from financing, the employers' association also presented the results of a survey of companies regarding their outlook for 2026. The survey anticipates "moderate growth," slightly lower than in 2025, but following the same trend. "Given that the surveyed companies expect to maintain investment and activity, and that macroeconomic data indicates a slight slowdown, at Cecot we believe we are entering a year that will be neither euphoric nor crisis-ridden, where the important thing will not be growth but making sound decisions," Panés pointed out. "Even so, Catalonia continues to grow above the European average, which is related to the high degree of resilience of our companies; however, if a company doesn't know what rules it will be operating under in six months, it cannot plan. That is why many Catalan companies are now preparing to weather the storm," he noted.

For his part, the Secretary General of Cecot, Oriol Alba, explained that companies generally have a positive or very positive assessment of the outlook for 2025: only 14.4% have reduced their workforce in 2025, and looking ahead to 2026, most expect to maintain or increase their staff. Alba also explained that the main risks companies see for growth in 2026 are the lack of qualified personnel (19%), administrative bureaucracy (16%), and absenteeism (13%), but, nevertheless, an increase in revenue is generally expected for 2026. ~BK_S employers' association during the last year, making special mention of its Reempresa program, which closed 2025 with the highest number of mergers and acquisitions in its history. In total, 630 companies were transferred, maintaining 1,800 jobs and generating an induced investment of 45 million euros.