Collboni loses his second vote of confidence of the term

BarcelonaFrom defeat to defeat until final victory. After seeing his budget rejected by the opposition in Friday's plenary session, Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni lost the vote of confidence he sought to pass the accounts on Wednesday. A bittersweet defeat, however, as the inability of the other groups to form an alternative with an absolute majority will allow the PSC-led government to automatically approve the 2026 budget before the end of the year. This is the second time Collboni has had to resort to a vote of confidence to pass the City Council's budget. This tool, available only to city councils, allows the mayor to pass the budget by linking it to a vote of confidence. If he loses, the opposition has 30 calendar days to attempt to form a motion of no confidence with an alternative candidate who has the support of an absolute majority in the plenary session. If they fail to do so, the budget is automatically approved. In the case of the Catalan capital, the arithmetic makes it impossible for any other party to obtain the necessary 21 councilors, so the budget will be automatically approved before the end of the year. This has turned Wednesday's plenary session into a carbon copy of many others seen during the term, with the opposition highlighting Collboni's "isolation" while the executive takes advantage of the considerable leeway the City Council grants the government, even in a minority. Given this scenario, the opposition has focused on emphasizing the difficulties the PSC government faces in passing its most important votes. Since the beginning of the term, Collboni has not yet been able to approve any budget through the ordinary process—two votes of confidence and one extension—nor could he get the Municipal Action Plan—the roadmap for the term—despite a lack of support, and he has had to shelve one of his flagship proposals: the modification of the reserve.

Nor has he been able to bring another party into his government, even though Collboni closed the previous vote of confidence—the one used to approve the 2024 budget—by announcing that he was accelerating talks to do so. Internal debate within Esquerra Republicana derailed that attempt, despite the fact that the Republicans have acted as the executive's main partners. This Wednesday, they were also the only ones to vote alongside the PSC. Their spokesperson, Jordi Castellana, asserted that it is "worthwhile" to leverage their influence "to improve a budget proposal that is useful for addressing the challenges" of the city.

As on Friday, Barcelona en Comú opted to abstain. Despite leaving the door open to reaching "bold" agreements with Collboni, the group's spokesperson, Gemma Tarafa, was highly critical of the mayor. "As much as we have become accustomed to his defeats, this is not normal," she said. The leader of Junts, Jordi Martí, was even harsher. "You're asking for a trust you've never had from the public. You've lost every election you've run in," he retorted. From the PP, Daniel Sirera criticized the PSC for only seeking agreements with the left.

An outstretched hand for agreements

Despite suffering another setback in the plenary session, both Collboni and the fourth deputy mayor for Economy, Jordi Valls, emphasized the executive's ability to reach agreements. The mayor, who spoke at the end of the debate, declared the budget's approval on January 1st a foregone conclusion. "We have full confidence in what we are proposing," he said. While advocating for negotiations on the budget with left-wing groups, Collboni denied that he was closed to agreements with right-wing parties. "I reiterate our willingness," he said. The debate on the coexistence ordinance looms on the horizon. Valls also maintained that the municipal government has reached agreements with most of the groups in the plenary session throughout its term, and stressed that it remains open to dialogue. Furthermore, he responded to criticism regarding the executive's isolation by arguing that "no other project is capable of achieving the 15-council majority" currently held by the PSC and Esquerra. "We will continue seeking agreements. It is our responsibility, but also that of the opposition," he concluded.