Government rules out early election after budget hopes evaporate

Socialists avoid assigning blame, seek deals with "priority partners" ERC and Comuns

Government spokesperson Sílvia Paneque during a press conference
Government spokesperson Sílvia Paneque during a press conference / Mariona Puig
Catalan News

Catalan News | @catalannews | Barcelona

January 21, 2025 06:35 PM

There is "no possibility" of Catalonia agreeing a new budget for 2025, government spokesperson Sílvia Paneque acknowledged on Tuesday.

Faced with this "new reality," Paneque, also the Minister for Territory, Housing, and Ecological Transition, said that the government is not considering calling a snap election and urged parties to reach agreements moving forward.

The Socialists' minority government considers pro-independence ERC and left-wing Comuns as "priority partners" and avoided assigning them any "blame."

The previous budget will now carry over another year, although Paneque did warn that it would be "hard to understand" if the government cannot incorporate an additional €4 billion via decree-laws.

"We are not reviewing cuts and will activate all mechanisms to fulfill the Government Plan and the investiture agreements," she said.

No negotiations

The government acknowledges that there will be no new budget for 2025 because ERC has already made it clear that they will not sit at the negotiation table.

From now on, according to Paneque, a "new reality" begins, and the government must activate all the mechanisms at its disposal to address the issues facing Catalonia: both to comply with the Government Plan and to implement the investiture agreements with ERC and Comuns.

"We are a minority government and we will negotiate," the spokesperson said, aware that it will need the support of a majority in Parliament to add the €4 billion in additional funding and make modifications to the current extended budget.

The first test will be next week's full parliamentary session, which must validate or repeal the decree approved by the government on December 17 regarding financial needs in the extended budget.

The Salvador Illa government maintains that ERC and Comuns are "priority partners."

At her press conference following Tuesday's weekly cabinet meeting, Paneque opted for a conciliatory tone and refrained from assigning responsibility or blame for the failure to establish new budgets for 2025.

"This Government is not looking for culprits or who's responsible; the government is looking for solutions that benefit Catalans," she added. 

"We will see what results come from the negotiation framework that will now begin. Not having a budget for 2025 has been a reality since yesterday or today. Now we need to see, in the new negotiating framework, what new scenarios it brings us," Paneque said.

She sent a "message of reassurance" to the public, stating that the possibility of calling early elections is not on the government's agenda.

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