The far-right political party Vox has reimbursed the Catalan Parliament for expenses related to a group meal that included a significant bill for high-alcohol spirits, following a critical report from the chamber’s public auditor.
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An official review of parliamentary group spending in 2024 sparked this controversy, again placing the use of public funds by Catalonia’s political parties under scrutiny. According to the report, first revealed by Vilaweb and confirmed by the Catalan News Agency (ACN), Vox used its parliamentary allowance to pay for a €2,605 meal for its deputies and staff. The bill included €184 spent specifically on high-proof alcoholic beverages.
Political groups in the Parliament of Catalonia have caused a stir with their spending habits before. Eighteen months ago, for instance, the chamber amended its expense criteria to prevent parties from using allocations to pay salary top-ups to deputies, a practice Vox had previously engaged in.
A Pattern of Scrutiny
In a statement, Vox confirmed it had repaid the full amount for the meal. The party also reimbursed approximately €5,000 for an agricultural event it organised in Lleida, after the auditor suggested the costs ‘could exceed’ parliamentary group activities. Party sources insisted the funds were returned on February 18, before the auditor’s report became public.
This incident adds to a history of financial scrutiny for the party in Catalonia. Its parliamentary leader, Ignacio Garriga, previously returned €380 in public funds used for personal expenses, including his child’s school parent-teacher association fees. Garriga then claimed an ‘error’ caused the bill’s submission to the chamber.
This renewed focus on party expenditure comes as the Catalan Parliament continues its legislative work on pressing regional issues, bringing fiscal responsibility questions to the forefront.
Other Parties Under the Spotlight
The auditor’s report did not single out Vox; it also raised questions about other major parties’ spending, highlighting broader concerns over taxpayer money.
The report questioned Junts per Catalunya, the party of exiled former president Carles Puigdemont, over the ‘proportionality’ of spending some €47,500 on a 60-person working conference in Belgium. Attendees included the group’s deputies, advisors, and other party staff. The report highlighted the high cost of travel and meals associated with the event. Unlike Vox, Junts – whose vote recently proved decisive in rejecting a Vox-proposed burqa ban in the Spanish Congress – has not repaid the funds or commented on the matter.
The People’s Party (PP) was also cited for spending €1,900 of its allowance on ‘Christmas gifts’ for 30 individuals, including deputies, staff, and collaborators. Citing a Constitutional Court ruling, the auditor’s report stated that such expenses ‘do not find legal protection because they constitute a liberality of the employer that is not assumable in a public administration.’ However, PP sources noted the auditor has not explicitly requested they return the money.
Systemic Funding Questions Raised
Beyond individual expenses, the report from the Sindicatura de Comptes de Catalunya (Public Audit Office for Catalonia) addressed a more systemic issue: parliamentary groups transferring their public subsidies directly to their parent political organisations.
While legally permitted, the auditor suggested establishing a ‘maximum limit’ for these internal transfers. The report noted that in 2024, three groups – Comuns, CUP, and PSC – channelled over 99% of their parliamentary subsidy directly to their respective parties. In contrast, Vox and the newly-formed Aliança Catalana made no such transfers.
These findings reignite a long-standing debate over political financing in Catalonia. The system was recently modified to have the Generalitat de Catalunya, the regional government, assume a larger portion of party funding, with an annual provision of €9 million.
As parties grapple with public perception and fiscal accountability, the auditor’s latest findings are likely to fuel calls for greater transparency and stricter controls over how public money is spent within the walls of the Palau del Parlament de Catalunya.
