Lleida, Catalonia, has seen 105 of its 231 municipal councils, nearly 50%, approve financial plans since 2012 to comply with national spending rules.
These plans, required under the 2012 Budgetary Stability Law, dictate council spending for the current and following financial years. Some municipalities have had to submit these plans multiple times, with one council doing so four times, according to data from the Observatory of Local Finances of the Association of Municipalities of Catalonia (ACM).
Mayors across Lleida have criticised the rules, stating they limit their operational freedom and force them to forgo grants. Antoni Reig, mayor of La Baronia de Rialb, whose council has prepared three financial plans (2018, 2020, and 2025), said local administration is "the most punished" by the budgetary stability law.
Mayors Criticise Spending Rules
Reig explained that his council has unspent surpluses and has had to reject subsidies because it cannot take out credit to cover the municipality's share of project costs. Jordi Selga, mayor of Guixers, whose council approved plans in 2019 and 2025, attributed the spending rules to "poor management, and not precisely by the councils."
Selga described the situation as an "injustice," citing an instance where his council's latest plan was due to exceeding the spending limit, which is the budget plus the year's Consumer Price Index (CPI). "If, like this year, you have to invest in fixing roads due to storms, you are in trouble," he added.
Multiple Plans for Some Councils
Of the 105 councils that have approved a financial plan, 21 have done so twice. Six councils, including Almatret, La Baronia de Rialb, Soses, Talavera, Tàrrega, and Térmens, have done so three times. Torà has submitted four plans, according to the ACM observatory.
The four provincial councils in Catalonia have also had to submit one or more financial plans. Lleida's provincial council recently submitted a plan after unblocking numerous investments in 2024 and spending beyond its updated budget limit, due to many outstanding invoices. In contrast, 126 municipalities, more than half, have not submitted any financial plans.
The ACM believes that fiscal rules are more restrictive for local administrations than for regional or national governments. The association continues to advocate for changes to these rules, arguing they hinder effective local governance and public service delivery.
