The Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility (AIReF) has once again criticized the Spanish government for still not having presented a draft national budget for 2026. "Not presenting a budget prevents debate, and the lack of debate means that oversight [of the Spanish government] is impossible," criticized AIReF President Herrero, a close associate of Herrero. Herrero said that it is "crucial" to be able to carry out this oversight exercise to see if the executive's actions align with its promises, especially in fiscal terms. Despite the difficulties in approving new public accounts (the 2023 budget remains extended), especially after the fragile relationship with JuntsPedro Sánchez is determined to present a budget proposal. Before that, however, the government must establish a spending ceiling and a stability path with new deficit and debt targets. This step is expected to be taken in the coming days. All of this will also have to be presented to the autonomous communities at a Fiscal and Financial Policy Council (CPFF). In this regard, the Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility (AIReF) has once again raised the issue of applying different deficit targets depending on the region.

Esquerra does not present an amendment to the general state budget, after managing to shield the Catalan language with quotas in the new audiovisual law. This was announced by the party yesterday midday, just before the deadline for registering the document requesting the return of the accounts to the Spanish government. At the last minute, the Republicans have reached a pact with the PSOE to protect the co-official languages in the law that the executive wants to promote and which had become the main obstacle.

The fact that ERC has not presented any amendments to the state budget in its entirety will allow them to be processed. It is a first step towards an understanding with the PSOE on a key issue: guaranteeing a quota for the presence of Catalan on digital platforms for audiovisual content. Republicans and socialists have agreed to jointly approve the new audiovisual law and protect the co-official languages, although for now no percentage has been specified.

First step for the general state budgets for 2022. The cabinet has approved the draft budget for next year after the Socialists and Unidas Podemos finally reached an agreement after tough negotiations in recent weeks. At a press conference, the Finance Minister María Jesús Montero anticipated on Thursday that they will again be "expansive" budget (the expenditure ceiling will be slightly higher than last year's, €169bn) to fully address "the fair economic recovery" after the covid crisis. But now they are left with the most complicated part: obtaining other parties' support to get it through the Spanish Parliament, where the Finance Minister intends to present the budget them next week to explain the fine print. "I hope they are reasonable," said María Jesús Montero on the amendments opposition parties will be able to present from now on. The minister foresees "discreet" conversations and considers the Basque National Party (PNV) and Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC) as priority partners. The Ministry of Finance explains that the parties' main demands focus on investments and strategic projects that the Catalan and Basque governments want to finance through European funds.

"The spending ceiling will anticipate the most expansive budgets in the country's history", stated the Minister of Employment, Yolanda Díaz, on Monday. The words of the second vice-president are not only a déjà-vu of the discourse that has prevailed since the pandemic began, but anticipate another record expenditure ceiling which the Council of Ministers plans to approve this Tuesday. This is a fundamental step in drawing up the general state budgets for 2021, which the two partners in the coalition government, PSOE and Unidas Podemos, will begin to negotiate this week. "They will be public accounts to solve the problems the social majority of the country has," insisted Diaz.