He shows improvement but remains cautious about full approval. The Government of Asturias is still described as delivering budget execution at a rate that is clearly insufficient on the national scale. The latest figures for the first period ending June 30, published by the General Government Intervention, indicate an improvement in execution compared with the disappointing results at the end of 2021, yet they do not satisfy the district administrator. Government sources note that discussions at the highest levels have begun to bear fruit, though a direct link to the latest data has not yet been confirmed, as central authorities pressed in June with several ministries aiming to accelerate promise fulfillment. The first infrastructure monitoring commission convened in July.
We expect the state to show greater execution in the second half of the year. This is the target the Executive Board frames as a goal to work toward.
Execution data for the first half of the year in Asturias show performance below the national average, largely dragging down the public sector’s overall results due to Adif’s subpar investment adherence. Across the public administration, Asturias ranked among the lower tiers with roughly 21.9 percent execution. When looking solely at investments managed by the General State Administration (excluding Adif and similar entities), Asturias posts a 27.5 percent realization rate, still below the national average of 33.6 percent when evaluated uniformly. The Ministry of Transport reports an execution rate of 28.4 percent for its portfolio in Asturias.
Rail infrastructure has long been a core budgetary pledge for Asturias. In the upcoming General State Budget, the central government pledged 420.88 million euros for Asturias, a 7 percent increase over 2022. However, 124 million of this amount is earmarked for the Cercanías Asturias line within Adif, which has shown low adherence to planned investments for the year.
First-half expenditure data present a mixed picture for Asturias. Adif reveals a different pace when separating high-speed investments from local rail projects. High-speed projects appear to be progressing well, while neighborhood-oriented projects lag behind the year’s budget. The same pattern appears in Renfe’s performance, with lower execution in Asturias compared to the national average. In contrast, Madrid exhibits a robust execution, with all budgeted funds spent and an additional 52 percent of extra spending as of June 31, but other regions fail to reach a quarter of the budgeted totals.
Overall, the national average for Spain stands at 28.5 percent execution. In Adif’s broader portfolio excluding high speed, execution drops to 9 percent. Adif manages to spend more quickly in lower-budget regions, while in Galicia and Navarra, execution rates show notable variances. In Asturias, mid-year execution reached only 10.2 percent, totaling 11.1 million of a 109.4 million budget.
Renfe’s performance mirrors the broader challenges. The Asturias execution rate sits at 14 percent, versus a national average around 19.4 percent. Mid-year spending in Asturias reaches 5.1 million euros of a 36.7 million annual budget. Madrid remains the standout with complete budget utilization and additional spending, but most other communities report far lower execution levels.
With final annual figures pending for Adif and Renfe, questions remain about how much of the 2023 commitments will actually be realized. Last year, the central government allocated 79.88 million euros for Asturias through Adif, with only 19.4 million executed, a 24.3 percent compliance rate. In the 2021 budgets, Asturias appeared to lead in rail investment per capita, yet actual spending placed it fifth among the states. Of every 79 euros promised per Asturian in the 2021 Budget, Adif delivered just 19.2 euros.
Delia Losa evaluates the data as highly positive and anticipates year-end improvements
Delia Losa, the Government delegate in Asturias, reviewed the first-period investments transferred to the Principality from the State General Administration budget in 2022 and described the results as very positive, noting a 27.5 percent realization rate for the administration and a margin of ten points above the mid-year 2021 figure. The delegate emphasized ongoing progress on major projects like the A-63 motorway and the Pajares bypass, along with the third lane on the Y road, which are in the process of completion. Losa also highlighted a trend where implementation increases in the latter half of the year, suggesting that the yearly total could substantially exceed mid-year figures.
Criticism from Catalonia: assessing budget implementation again
The Catalan Government faced renewed scrutiny over the first-period budget execution data. While Catalonia allocated 65 percent of the State’s total budget, much of that amount went to compensating toll-road improvements. Reducing that allocation results in a budget implementation rate of about 16 percent of promises, one of the lower marks across autonomous communities. A Catalan government spokesperson suggested that the central government should answer for this shortfall, attributing the problem to underinvestment and weak execution by the central authorities within the state framework.