Catalan parliament approves landmark law to revitalize small villages

The Catalan parliament approved on Wednesday the Statute of Rural Towns, a landmark law designed to revitalize small villages and promote rural development.

After years of debate and a government change that left the proposal in limbo, the bill finally received wide support and was approved by the chamber.

The law contains 86 articles and introduces a specific legal framework for rural towns, aiming to ensure territorial balance and equal opportunities for their residents.

Villages with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants will qualify as rural towns under the new statute. More than 600 towns across Catalonia are expected to gain this official status.

The legislation also includes the creation of a dedicated financing system to guarantee financial autonomy for these municipalities.

The main goal of the statute is to combat depopulation and breathe new life into rural areas.

Key measures include the creation of a rural housing registry to improve access to housing, guaranteed access to education, and support for remote work.

The law will also guarantee effective mobile phone coverage and optical fiber access, along with on-demand transport and nearby healthcare services.

Additionally, the statute provides for income tax reductions for people who move to designated rural towns.

To support economic and social growth, the law also seeks to streamline bureaucracy and reduce administrative barriers.

'A day of celebration'

Joan Solà, president of the Small Villages Association, called it “a day of celebration” moments before the vote.

"After years of work and with broad consensus, the day has finally come to approve this statute," he told Catalan News.

Solà, who is also the mayor of Riner, a town in Lleida with fewer than 300 inhabitants, called the statute "an act of justice."

"It promotes territorial balance and equity, both of which are essential to overcoming the challenges that small villages currently face," he explained.

Solà stressed the importance of fostering a "vibrant" rural environment. "One that complements the urban world. Only through this balance can we build a better country for everyone."

Rare unity in divided parliament

The law passed with a strong majority of 122 votes in favor and just 11 against —those of the far-right Vox— marking a rare moment of unity in Catalonia’s deeply polarized parliament.

Presidency minister Albert Dalmau described it as a “historic day” and pledged to now begin implementing the statute.

“It’s a step forward toward a more cohesive, fair, and inclusive country,” he said. “The statute provides tools to improve housing, public services, and mobility in rural areas.”

Dalmau also celebrated the broad consensus behind the vote, saying it sends a clear message to the public: “When politicians put their differences aside, the country moves forward.”

Marta Vilalta, of the pro-independence party Esquerra Republicana (ERC) and one of the key architects of the law, said it would "improve living conditions for people in rural areas."

"It will foster rootedness, repopulation, equal opportunities, and territorial balance," she said.

Anna Feliu, from the pro-independence party Junts, welcomed the approval of the law, stressing that it will "guarantee essential services such as healthcare and education" in rural areas.

"Laws cannot always be designed from the perspective of cities, and they cannot be the same for a city of 100,000 inhabitants as for a village of just 100," she added.

The conservative PP also welcomed the approval of the law, stating that it “recognizes the most penalized towns.”

“Small villages sustain the mosaic of our cultural, territorial, and economic diversity, yet they suffer the most from the centralization of services and lack of investment,” said Juan Fernández.

The left-wing Comuns assured small villages that they “will not be left behind” and pledged that the law will be “defended, implemented, and monitored.”

“There is no future without bridges connecting the rural and urban worlds,” said Lluís Mijoler. "Without vibrant villages, there is no country or sustainable future. These places should be living communities for anyone who wants to put down roots, not mere reserves or recreational zones.”

To learn more about life in 'micropobles' and the challenges they face, listen to this episode of our podcast Filling the Sink.