Budget unveiling imminent, but government echoes silence on registration status: "Hold off on the spotlight"
In Spain, the progressive coalition government led by Pedro Sánchez is gearing up to present the General State Budgets for the next year, marking a delay in the presentation of the 2023 accounts. This move comes amidst ongoing negotiations with opposition parties, as the approval of state budgets often involves intricate discussions in Spain's complex parliamentary landscape.
The government's measures aim to align with European regulations, with payments at 100% of the regulatory base, while the regulations require only 60%. One of the key measures includes an expansion of parental leave, offering parents 17 weeks to care for young children, with two weeks for childcare for children up to eight years old and an additional week for birth.
However, the path to budget approval is not without challenges. Some investiture partners, including Junts and Podemos, have expressed reservations about the government's optimism regarding the budget's approval. The PNV has warned that the future of the legislature is closely linked to the Government presenting the accounts. The Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) has also voiced concerns, emphasizing the importance of the Government presenting the accounts.
The coalition government has made significant strides in various areas, such as strengthening institutions and fighting corruption. Spain has also demonstrated economic growth in 2023, despite challenges within the eurozone. However, as of mid-2025, no specific information detailing the current status or parliamentary dynamics of the General State Budgets for 2023 in Spain is readily available.
The presentation of the budgets is a constitutional mandate, according to the Second Vice-President and Minister of Labour, Yolanda Díaz. The Minister of Education echoed the President of the Government's statement that he was clear and categorical about presenting the budgets. The Government is currently negotiating with other forces to pass the budgets, as they have been doing since the beginning of the legislature.
The 'purple' coalition, comprising Podemos and Junts, has conditioned their support on several key issues. These include halting the increase in military spending, breaking diplomatic and commercial relations with Israel, a decree freezing arms exports to Israel, and a 40% reduction in rents by law. The separatist party, ERC, continues to demand that the Government fulfil its commitment on the special financing for Catalonia to pass the accounts in Catalonia and the rest of Spain.
The Secretary of Organization and co-spokesman of the formation, Pablo Fernández, stated that the votes of his party are aimed at "solving the problems of the people and transforming society". Meanwhile, some critics have suggested that Sánchez is seeking excuses to call elections by expressing concern about not having the budgets.
As the negotiations continue, the immediate entry into force of these measures, although they will need to be ratified by Parliament in September, offers a glimpse into the government's social-focused approach to budgeting. The outcome of these negotiations will undoubtedly shape Spain's economic and political landscape in the coming years.
The government's social-focused approach in the budgeting process includes measures like the expansion of parental leave, with the aim being to present average families with more benefits. The approval of the state budgets, however, faces challenges due to reservations expressed by some investiture partners, such as the PNV and ERC, over issues like military spending, diplomatic relations with Israel, and special financing for Catalonia.
