Although the intensity with which they are defended depends on the possibility of their approval, few politicians can publicly question that having a budget is better than not having one. This is probably why President Salvador Illa has opted to play it safe and force ERC to take a stance and, in any case, provide a solid argument for why they are prepared to block it.

In the wake of the pandemic, the Generalitat (Catalan government) has increased investment in social policies to address the social crisis resulting from restrictive measures, but it has done so 10 percentage points below the Spanish average. In fact, Catalonia remains at the bottom of the list of regions in terms of the increase in social spending between 2019 and 2024, at 14.9%, slightly below the governments of Madrid and Murcia (15 and 16.4%). These are figures from the latest report by the State Association of Directors and Managers of Social Services, published this Monday, which denounces that the overall budgetary growth in this post-COVID five-year period has not been reflected in the areas of health, education, and social services. The recovery in social budgets in Catalonia represents an increase of €383 per capita, only slightly exceeding the Madrid budget of the Popular Party (PP) leader Isabel Díaz Ayuso by a mere euro, while the Spanish average stands at around €660.

The Catalan government is seeking private financing alternatives and reducing its dependence on the regional liquidity fund (FLA) offered by the state, Economy Minister Alícia Romero explained this Friday. The Catalan government hopes to be able to issue debt to the markets soon, as well as refinance part of its debt directly with banks in order to lower the interest it currently pays.

Cospedal and Sánchez-Camacho's time in Congress was just as we reported yesterday here: both denied reality and Camacho still He had the nerve to present himself as a victim.