Catalan President Salvador Illa gathered his government this weekend at Món Sant Benet in Sant Fruitós de Bages, Barcelona, for a working session. This marks the fourth such meeting for Illa and his ministers in their year and eight months in office. The aim is to refine government priorities for the coming months, hoping to approve their first budget with support from investiture allies ERC and Comuns.
The meeting began on Saturday with a minute of silence for the latest victim of femicide in Catalonia, a woman killed by her son in Barcelona's Sant Andreu district. President Illa opened the session by urging his government to "put institutions to work at full speed" and focus on legislative challenges. He spoke of accelerating Catalonia's transformation, regaining European leadership, and ensuring shared prosperity amidst global uncertainty, according to government sources.
Focusing on Administration Reform
The session continued with interventions from various ministers, though Health Minister Olga Pané was absent due to medical leave. Illa also invited Francesc Torralba, winner of the latest Josep Pla Prize for his essay 'Anatomía de la esperanza' (Anatomy of Hope), to discuss hope with government members. Illa believes "Catalonia is a country full of hope, which is the engine for improving things and the antidote against the fear that reactionaries try to impose," sources said. On Sunday at 9:30am, the president will make an institutional statement to close the meeting, where government sources expect a significant social announcement.
This gathering aims to boost government action and advance the reform of public administration and services. Illa and his government are focused on projects across 16 departments as they approach the halfway point of their term. The choice of Món Sant Benet for this meeting was deliberate. Illa has previously selected ecclesiastical sites like Poblet or Núria, or tranquil locations such as the village of Arnes in Tarragona, for these retreats.
Strategic Locations for Government Meetings
Món Sant Benet is a cultural and tourism project of the Fundació Catalunya-La Pedrera, centred on the 10th-century Sant Benet de Bages monastery. The monastery was owned by artist Ramon Casas' family in the early 20th century, after monastic activity ceased in 1835. The first of these working sessions, introduced by Illa, took place in August 2024, shortly after he became president, at the Santa Maria de Poblet Monastery. In April 2025, he convened his government at the Santuari de la Vall de Núria in Queralbs, Girona. Later, in August 2025, they met in Arnes, following a summer fire in that area, Paüls, and other municipalities within the Ports Natural Park.
After a turbulent start to the year, marked by several crises including Illa's medical convalescence, a swine fever outbreak, protests by healthcare workers and teachers, and Rodalies rail chaos, Illa faces the mission of reaching the legislative midpoint with an approved budget. ERC's refusal to negotiate the budget, citing a lack of guarantees from the central government regarding Catalonia's income tax collection, disrupted the government's initial plans. After securing an eleventh-hour agreement with the republicans to extend negotiations, Illa now faces decisive months.
If the desired budget agreement is not reached before the summer break, the progressive majority in Catalonia could collapse, potentially sending the Catalan legislature into uncharted territory. Illa's mandate so far is measured by the number of investiture agreements implemented, notably those concerning regional funding, the investment consortium, and the transfer of Rodalies through a joint venture, as well as housing announcements. However, problems with the rail network persist, and the potential effects of the Middle East conflict add further challenges. Despite this, in his most recent institutional statement for Sant Jordi, Illa defended a Catalonia moving forward. "Catalonia has left behind the time of paralysis and indecision. Catalonia has left behind the time of division and confrontation. Catalonia today lives in a time of solutions to transform the country," the president stated.
