The Catalan government has approved an ambitious legislative plan for 2026, signalling its determination to advance its agenda despite a high-stakes political standoff that threatens to derail its annual budget. Confirmed on Tuesday, the plan includes 132 new initiatives and a major expansion of the region’s Rural Agents force. However, its future hinges on a budget proposal also containing a controversial pay rise for President Salvador Illa.
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The government, officially known as the Generalitat de Catalunya, is now clashing with its key investiture partner, the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC). While the government insists it will not back down, ERC formally registered a motion to reject the entire budget. ERC demands the government first makes progress on a deal to transfer 100% of the Personal Income Tax (IRPF) collected in Catalonia to the Generalitat. This was a key concession agreed during Salvador Illa’s investiture.
Government spokesperson Sílvia Paneque stated after Tuesday’s cabinet meeting that a failed budget is unacceptable. “Catalonia not only needs the accounts, but it needs certainty and stability,” she said. “We will work until the last minute and second for them to become a reality.”
The Parliament of Catalonia will debate the full budget on March 20th.
A Sweeping Legislative Agenda
The 2026 regulatory plan, approved by the government, outlines a broad vision focusing on five key priorities: shared prosperity, a green transition, social equity, good governance, and effective self-governance. It contains 132 separate initiatives, with 48 slated for approval this year, including 12 new bills and 36 decrees.
Flagship projects include a new law for the general organisation of vocational training, updated legislation on waste management and public employment, and the creation of a registry for empty flats to address housing shortages. According to reports in El País, the government frames the plan as a necessary step to reinforce public services and drive socio-economic transformation.
However, without the new budget, which adds €9 billion compared to the 2023 budget, many of these plans could be jeopardised. Paneque warned that policies on housing and public sector pay rises, like a proposed salary supplement for teachers, might be left unfunded. “If you spend the money on one thing, you will have to withdraw it from another,” she cautioned.
More Boots on the Ground for Rural Agents
The new agenda’s significant component is the 2026-2030 Strategic Plan for the Cos d’Agents Rurals, or Rural Agents Corps. The government aims to nearly double the environmental and conservation police force from its current 675 officers to 1,300. It also includes creating 10 new regional bases and renovating two others.
This expansion responds to a rapidly growing workload. The government notes this workload increased from 143,000 recorded actions in 2024 to an expected 203,000 in 2025. Furthermore, the plan includes a push for digitalisation and creating a new administrative support team. This will allow agents to spend more time on operational duties.
Presidential Pay Rise Draws Scrutiny
A proposal embedded within the contentious budget has drawn considerable attention: a significant pay rise for President Illa and his cabinet. As reported by ABC, Illa’s salary would increase by over 7%, rising from €136,842 to €146,635 per year.
This would make him the highest-paid regional leader in Spain; he would earn considerably more than the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, whose salary is just over €90,000. Each of Illa’s 15 regional ministers (consellers) would also have their annual pay rise to €130,049.
If the budget fails, a snap election looms. Despite this, the government projects an image of stability and optimism. Spokesperson Paneque highlighted recent progress on a new financing model and the joint management of the Rodalies suburban train service, presenting these as evidence of their ability to deliver. However, the fate of their entire 2026 agenda now rests on tense, last-minute negotiations before the crucial parliamentary vote.
