In Catalonia, the struggle to create a new consortium jointly managed with Madrid to oversee regional infrastructure investments is intensifying. The autonomous authorities and the Esquerra Republicana party have stepped up negotiations to ensure the initiative passes through the Congress of Deputies. The key question remains: will the Junts per Catalunya party support the project? Without their votes, the consortium may not receive approval.
As reported by El Pais, a presentation of the initiative took place yesterday in Barcelona with the participation of Cercle d’Economia, Pimec, and Cambra de Comerç. Business representatives openly expressed their support for the creation of the new body and called for a compromise between political forces. At the same time, there was a veiled appeal to Junts in the speeches, as their seven deputies could determine the outcome of the vote.
Business pressure
Leaders of economic organizations emphasized that infrastructure projects cannot remain in limbo. In their view, the consortium will increase investment efficiency and ensure long-term planning for 20–30 years ahead. Representatives from Pimec and Cambra de Comerç took part in the discussion; however, Foment was not present at the meeting.
Cercle d’Economia president Teresa Garcia-Milà noted that the creation of the consortium is an important step forward. According to her, success would mean achieving an investment execution rate above 90%. In recent years, as participants recalled, this figure in Catalonia has not exceeded 50%, while in Madrid it consistently exceeds 100%.
Junts’ position and Esquerra’s response
The Junts per Catalunya party has not yet given a definitive answer. Junts representative Josep Rius stated that he considers the new body unnecessary and insists on the direct transfer of unspent funds from the Catalan budget. According to him, it is sufficient simply to allocate the money that has already been budgeted but not spent directly to the Generalitat.
Esquerra Republicana emphasizes that the consortium is not an end in itself, but a tool to address the chronic problem of infrastructure underfunding. Party representative Isaac Albert stated that Esquerra will seek support not only from Junts, but also from other parties backing Pedro Sánchez’s government, including Bildu and BNG.
Initiative details
The consortium project envisages equal participation of the state and the Generalitat in managing investments. The tasks include joint development of a multi-year plan, coordination of government bodies, as well as oversight and evaluation of project implementation. After approval in Congress, the body is expected to be created within six months, and the specific details of its operation will be outlined in separate statutes to be agreed upon at a bilateral commission.
According to El Pais, the initiative has already been agreed between the Catalan government and Spain’s ministries of economy and transport. However, changes to the text may still be made before the vote on April 29 to attract additional support.
