At the start of the week, a heated debate broke out in Spain over a planned increase in social contributions for the self-employed. Initially, the Ministry of Social Protection insisted on the need to raise payments for all categories, explaining the move as an effort to improve conditions for entrepreneurs. However, by the end of the week it became clear that the idea had sparked a storm of outrage—not only among small business representatives, but also within the government itself.
Tensions continued to rise over several days. Coalition partners, including Sumar, openly expressed their disagreement with the proposal. The initiative found no support in parliament, and in the prime minister’s residence (La Moncloa), awareness began to grow that the situation was getting out of control. The opposition quickly seized the moment to intensify criticism of the authorities, while business associations such as ATA actively mobilized their supporters.
Minister of Social Protection Elma Saiz (Elma Saiz) tried to convince the public of the need for reform, emphasizing that the self-employed in Spain face less favorable conditions compared to salaried employees. To support this, a joint video was even recorded with a representative of PSOE’s economic team. But behind the scenes, negotiations were already underway to revise the controversial provisions.
Ultimately, the key decision was made personally by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and First Deputy Prime Minister María Jesús Montero. Together with Minister Saïs, they agreed on a new approach: for those earning less, the increase in contributions will be postponed, while for more affluent self-employed workers, the increase will be significantly smaller than originally planned. The entire framework was urgently revised and presented for discussion at the beginning of the week.
Within the government, many were dissatisfied with how work on this issue was initially organized. The Ministry of Social Security expected the discussions to remain internal, but the information quickly leaked to the press, sparking a political crisis. Moreover, opponents of the initiative turned out to be not only opposition parties, but also a significant portion of left-wing forces, who viewed the increase as unfair to the least well-off.
After the official announcement about reviewing the conditions, representatives of the self-employed expressed cautious optimism, though they promised to continue seeking further concessions. Meanwhile, unions are now concerned that the new scheme could lead to a deficit in the system and inequality among different categories of workers. The final version of the document must be ready by the end of the year; otherwise, the old rules will remain in force in 2026.
