The Government of the Balearic Islands says it is working at full speed on the spending framework and draft budget for 2027. Vice-President and Minister for the Economy, Finance and Innovation Antoni Costa said after the meeting of the Consell de Govern said on 28 August that efforts were being made to pass the new accounts on time, but that approval in parliament was not solely in the hands of the executive. Passing them on schedule would be in the public interest, Costa said.
Specifically, the process involves setting the spending ceiling, known in Spain as the techo de gasto and consolidating departmental plans into a draft budget. This technical basis is a prerequisite for parliament to debate and approve the autonomous community’s budget. Costa pledged that work would proceed quickly, but made no commitments on securing a majority.
The political situation therefore remains tense. The Partido Popular leads the regional government and needs votes from outside its own ranks to pass the budget. Costa reaffirmed that the executive remained committed to the course set out in its government programme. It is unclear whether, and in what form, opposition groups will support the spending framework.
In June 2026, the administration had already set out guidelines and a timetable for drawing up the 2027 budget. The process involves submissions from individual departments, consolidation into the overall budget and coordination with revenue and investment projections. The government argues that a budget passed on time provides planning certainty for public services and projects.
If no majority can be secured in parliament, Costa pointed to the possibility of carrying forward the existing budget. Such an interim solution would be manageable, but would offer less scope for new priorities than a budget passed through the usual process. Reliable figures on the scale and priorities of the future spending framework are not yet available; they are expected only once the spending ceiling has been formally approved and the draft budget submitted.
Costa’s remarks mark the start of the final full political year before the 2027 regional elections. The timetable increases pressure on the government and opposition to find a basis for negotiations early, so that the budget process can go before parliament in the coming months without delay.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).