Barcelona is at the centre of a new push for stronger local funding, after Lluïsa Moret, president of the Diputació de Barcelona, called for more investment in municipal bodies across the province. She also said tourism should be spread beyond Barcelona city and into other parts of the province.
Moret said Catalonia’s growing population is putting pressure on public services. She said, “The Catalonia of 8.5 million people needs to update its service systems.” In her view, once a new regional financing proposal is settled, municipal funding should be the next priority. She said this would help local councils meet demand in places such as the Barcelona metropolitan area, which has more than 3.3 million residents.
She was speaking about her three years leading the Diputació, a local government body that supports municipalities in the province of Barcelona. Moret said the current government includes four political forces, and that this needs “very good predisposition and will from all parties to generate a positive climate” so the team can work well for local councils.
Tourism Beyond Barcelona City
Moret said one of the Diputació’s goals is to spread tourism more widely across the province, rather than concentrating it in Barcelona city. She pointed to sports tourism, cultural visits, gastronomy, historical heritage and natural spaces as part of that plan. The aim is also to reduce seasonal dependence and share the economic benefits more evenly.
She said this approach would also ease pressure on Barcelona’s central districts, which often see high visitor numbers. The province has a wide range of attractions, from the beaches of the Maresme coast to the Montserrat mountain range. For readers following local tourism policy, see our coverage of Barcelona’s tourism campaign and wider trends in Catalonia tourism spending.
Local Financing Next Step
Moret said the current government of President Pedro Sánchez has opened a chance to resolve regional financing, and that municipal financing should then be addressed. She said local councils often struggle with resources as resident needs grow, while the Diputació helps by making administrative processes easier.
She added, “I believe the fact that the Diputació is not questioned has to do with the empirical verification of its usefulness.” The debate over regional and municipal funding is expected to continue as Catalonia’s population grows and the province looks for a more balanced tourism model.
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Originally published by Europa Press Barcelona. Read original article.
