Investments in Catalonia: Divergence Between Planning and Execution
It is systematic, repetitive, and lacks transparency. The gap between planned government investment in Catalonia and the actual execution, compared with the broader state average, is especially evident in the Community of Madrid. According to José Ramón Rovira, head of the Studies Service at the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, the discrepancy can be measured from either side but is a recurring annual phenomenon. Between 2015 and 2021, the regionalizable average reached 74.2%, while the level of state investment implementation in Catalonia stood at 60.3% and Madrid reached 128.7%.
The tipping point is the 2021 data: an execution rate of 35.8% against an average of 71% in Catalonia and more than 180% in Madrid. Rail transport studies highlight a low level of operation, with 23.9% of Adif projects and 4.6% of Adif-Alta Velocidad completed. It is not a single year that stands out; rather, the ongoing, uncorrected trend is the underlying issue. Rovira notes that it is not a matter of hidden interests but a question directed at the Government about why this persists.
Joaquim Llanso, president of the Chamber of Civil Contractors of Catalonia and integrated into Foment, attributes the gap to a “lack of political will”. He stresses that the deficit between budgeted and executed investments has become structural. A key problem is that projects are not fragmented, making it difficult to predict which will be completed and which will not. Alicia Casart, Director of Infrastructure for the Chamber, adds that the situation is not simply about numbers but about the process itself.
When institutions and organizations with differing ideologies converge in a criticism, the central point remains clear: the low real implantation of investments in Catalonia relative to the regional average creates an investment gap that drifts. The Generalitat, the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, and groups like Pimek and various unions have voiced concerns about this drift.
Minister of Transport, Rachel Sanchez, visiting the SIL logistics expo, challenges the narrative of only cold figures. Since 2008, she notes, this Government has invested more in Catalonia than in any other region, and she calls for a project-by-project analysis to assess the status of each initiative under the current administration. The ministry stated that the Bilateral Infrastructure Commission would meet soon to analyze investment projects and the degree of implementation with the Generalitat.
James Giro, a figure within the economic sector, describes the figures as sad, disappointing, and surprising. From his perspective, the evolution feels unfair, with data he deems persistent and demeaning. He even asserts Catalonia is moving toward the status of a new European state.
There are also political explanations at play. Some argue that negotiations are required and that, since the 2017 referendum, progress on this front has been uncertain. Antoni Castells’ former deputy, speaking in a general sense, notes that the gap has not been fully resolved. Nevertheless, a provision in the Statute’s third additional provision offers mechanisms to ensure state public investments in Catalonia reflect the economy’s weight as measured by GDP. However, this provision was halted by later government actions under the prior national administration. Delays persist, with references to delays in programs carried over from 2009 to 2013.
A study by the Generalitat and AQR-Lab on the cumulative impact of the investment gap in Catalonia from 2012 to 2017 estimates a GDP hit of 9.8 percentage points, and by 2018 the impact was valued at approximately €23,820 million. The Generalitat has called for extraordinary financial support of €10,000 million between 2019 and 2023 to complete strategically tendered infrastructures, while recent figures place the investment gap at around €34,000 million, having risen from €28,000 million just a few months earlier. These numbers underscore the scale of the challenge facing Catalonia’s infrastructure plan.
Note: Analysts emphasize that the figures reflect long-standing structural imbalances rather than isolated incidents. The ongoing dialogue among regional authorities, business associations, and the central government continues to focus on aligning investment budgets with actual delivery, while ensuring that strategic projects advance in a timely manner for Catalonia’s economy to thrive.