Catalonia's Parliament is set to approve the Generalitat's 2026 budget on Thursday, ending three years of operating under extended 2023 accounts and giving President Salvador Illa his first budget in office. The spending plan totals nearly 50 billion euros, according to the Generalitat and Parliament records.

For residents, public workers, suppliers and organisations that depend on regional funding, the immediate effect is greater certainty over spending for 2026. Politically, the vote also gives Illa a more stable path to govern until the end of the current legislature in 2028, after securing support from Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) and Comuns.

Parliament vote ends reliance on the 2023 budget

The Parlament de Catalunya, Catalonia's regional legislature, lists the 2026 budget bill as part of its formal budget process. The Generalitat, Catalonia's regional government, approved the draft in May and sent it to Parliament for debate and final approval.

According to the Generalitat, the 2026 accounts were presented as the government's main financial plan for the year. If passed as expected on Thursday, Catalonia will move on from the repeated extension of the 2023 budget framework.

  • Total size: nearly 50 billion euros
  • Institution approving the law: Parliament of Catalonia
  • Government in office: the Generalitat led by President Salvador Illa
  • Political support named in the agreements: ERC and Comuns
The Govern said when it approved the bill in May that the 2026 budget would now be sent to Parliament for debate and approval.

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Support from ERC and Comuns gives the government room to govern

The government does not hold an absolute majority on its own, so budget approval depends on negotiated backing. Separate public agreements published by ERC and Comuns set out their support for the 2026 budget package.

That matters because the budget is one of the central laws of any government. Passing it gives Illa a significant political win almost two years after his investiture and reduces the risk of early instability in the 16th legislature, whose official framework is set out by the Parliament and the Generalitat.

Why the vote matters beyond party politics

For local councils, schools, hospitals, transport providers and contractors working with the regional administration, an approved budget is the basis for planned spending and procurement. It also gives a clearer reference point for programmes managed through the Generalitat's departments, including economy, health, education and social policy.

The Department of Economy and Finance has published the 2025 and 2026 budget material on its official portal, including the 2026 budget documentation and breakdowns by area. The final legal text is also published in the BOE, Spain's official state gazette, once enacted.

What happens next after Thursday's approval

Once approved by Parliament, the 2026 budget becomes the Generalitat's binding spending law for the year through its official publication process. Readers who need the final text or chapter-by-chapter figures should check the Parliament budget page, the Department of Economy and Finance budget portal, and the BOE publication record.

For practical purposes, residents and organisations should now follow the relevant department or public body for updates on grants, contracts, service funding and programme timetables linked to the new budget. Our Editorial Policy explains how we report institutional decisions and official documents.

Primary sources: Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE), Departament d'Economia i Finances de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament d'Economia i Finances de la Generalitat de Catalunya, Idescat (Statistics Institute of Catalonia), Idescat (Statistics Institute of Catalonia), Government of Catalonia (Generalitat de Catalunya), Official State Gazette (BOE). Reported by Parlament de Catalunya, Generalitat de Catalunya (Govern), Comuns (Catalunya en Comú), Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC), Parliament of Catalonia, Regió 7.