Goodbye to the budgets for Barcelona in 2025. Negotiations have failed and Collboni will have to face for the second year a government with budgets without approving them for a whole year, after more than five months of negotiations and thirty meetings have not served to reach an agreement.
Thus, the plan to manage the 3,854 million euro budget, the highest in the city’s history, is on hold until next year.
Social housing, the iceberg of the budgets.
The main stumbling block in the negotiations has been the 30% reserve for social housing, which obliges the construction of 30% subsidized housing in any new building development in the city. This condition was indispensable for Barcelona en Comú, which demanded its inclusion in the budget. However, the socialist team has wanted to dissociate this measure from the accounts, ensuring that it requires “broader debate” and not an immediate “and uncritical” adherence.
For her part, from BComú, Janet Sanz accused the government of being “weak and servile before speculators”, pointing out that Collboni showed no real willingness to negotiate. “They don’t need or want a budget because they have given up on transforming the city,” she assured. Both sides have accused each other of not wanting a real agreement on the matter and blame each other, ultimately, for the failure of these budgets.
For its part, Esquerra Republicana (ERC) partially supported the proposal, highlighting points such as the 201.3 million euros earmarked for housing and the expansion of investment in public transport with 256.3 million euros. However, they also criticized the municipal government’s “lack of capacity for understanding” and its unwillingness to reach an agreement.
It should be recalled that there is currently an obligation in Barcelona
Mobility, security… Proposals that disappear without new budgets
Barcelona City Council had put forward the new budgets, the highest in history, as a proposal based on seven priority axes.
- Public transport: The council had approved an Urban Mobility Plan with an allocation of 256 million euros, which includes the connection of the tramway along the Diagonal and the continuity of bonuses for transport tickets.
- Housing: 200 million euros, including the 60 million managed by IMHAB, will be allocated to the construction and expansion of the public housing stock through various formulas.
- Social policies: Expenditure of more than 900 million euros in social, educational and access to culture and sports policies.
- Proximity policies: Spending of 363.6 million euros of investments in neighborhoods for maintenance and cleaning and the districts’ own budget.
- Diversification of the city’s economy: 135.3 million euros for the promotion of trade, SMEs and reindustrialization.
- Security: Expenditure of almost 422 million euros.
- Climate action: Spending of 100 million euros.
This will be the second consecutive year in which the mayor fails to approve budgets through ordinary channels. However, from the government they minimize the impact of the prorogation. “We can govern with new or prorogued budgets,” assured Valls, while municipal sources consider that this situation will not hinder the management of the city.