Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni is entering the final year of his term before the May 2027 elections with a full agenda, from finishing major urban works to dealing with strikes in key public services. Municipal sources say his aim is to complete started projects, consolidate results and lay the groundwork for Barcelona’s next decade.
On Friday, Collboni welcomed the Catalan government’s budget agreement, which includes €606 million for Barcelona-linked projects such as the Besòs rehabilitation, the Diagonal tram connection, and new health centres, schools and residences. He also repeated his message about defending residents’ right to remain in the city and backing public rights and services. For wider Catalan politics coverage, see our news tag.
The mayor’s main tests include keeping major construction on schedule, showing results from the city’s Pla Endreça plan for public order and cleanliness, hosting international events and resolving ongoing strikes among social care and citizen services staff. Around 2,000 of the city’s 15,000 municipal employees are involved in the disputes, according to the article.
Several large works are due to finish before the election. La Rambla is scheduled for completion in February 2027, while the section of Meridiana between Felip II and Fabra i Puig is expected to be ready by autumn 2027. This summer, work on Balmes street between Plaça de Molina and Mitre is set to end, and by the end of the year the storm drain collector on Vilà i Vilà in Poble Sec should be finished, along with reurbanisation work.
Other projects will take longer. The covering of the Ronda de Dalt between Avinguda de Vallcarca and Vall d’Hebron institute is not expected until the end of 2027, and the final works in the Glòries and Gran Via area will continue through 2027. Barcelona is also preparing to host three major international events within four weeks, the visit of Pope Leo XIV on 9 and 10 June, the International Union of Architects Congress from 28 June to 2 July, and the start of the Tour de France on 4 and 5 July.
Collboni has also used the mayor’s power of confidence motions twice, in 2024 and 2026, to approve budgets. He said he would present his 2027 budget on time, but would extend the current budget if he lacks support because of the elections. On housing, the PSC says it has made the biggest investment in the city’s history, with the 2,000th public housing key handed over last week, 5,192 flats under construction and land available for 10,496 more.
The article also notes that Collboni’s plan to close 10,000 tourist flats by 2028 has been adopted by most neighbouring municipalities, while the Constitutional Court has upheld the measure and the Apartur employers’ association has taken the case to European courts. His proposal to make the 30% public housing requirement more flexible failed at the last minute, and he is open to putting it back into his 2027 electoral programme. He also welcomes the €85 million in the Catalan budget for railway infrastructure, although the remaining tram section from Verdaguer to Francesc Macià is not expected to start until after the elections.
