As the 2024 budget rounds are underway, the regional legislature appears ready to reflect its own financial plan within the broader regional accounts. If the general state budget anticipates lower overall spending than the previous year, the parliament’s accounts not only decline but also edge up slightly by 0.47%, reaching 34.1 million euros. That means roughly 160,000 euros more. If public wage increases are approved, this figure could rise further, potentially impacting MPs who receive compensation adjustments tied to those hikes.
According to the preliminary draft of the regional parliament’s budget—accessed by this publication—presided over by Llanos Massó, changes in wages mandated by the General Budget Law of the State and the Generalitat for 2024 would trigger updates in the Cortes’ compensation under the frameworks set by those laws. In other words, any wage increases for civil servants reflected in regional and state budgets would necessitate corresponding adjustments in the Cortes’ allowances.
In late 2023, an agreement between the national government and the unions set a 2% public salary increase for 2024. Yet a lack of investment constrained the central administration from drafting a budget for the coming year that fully anticipated this rise. It is possible to implement the increase without creating new accounts, but it would require approval from the Council of Ministers. Two weeks earlier, the Ministry of Finance had signaled that it intended to incorporate the raise into its accounts.
The increase would apply to all public employees, but it would not impact MPs, whose departures had been projected at 3.2 million euros plus 2.5 million in supplements. The Cortes’ draft budget indicates that salary increases set in state or regional budgets would not apply to parliamentarians.
The Opposition Abstains
Sources within the Home Affairs Government Commission noted that this issue formed part of Thursday’s discussions, and Consell’s stance could shift depending on senior officials’ trajectory. In that commission, the financial plan received approval from chamber representatives, with PSPV and Compromís abstaining and PP and Vox voting in favor, for inclusion in the Generalitat’s accounts.
When these potential increases are set aside, excluding those affecting public employees or MPs, personnel costs already show a rise compared with the prior year. Expenditures move from 22.6 million to 22.9 million euros, an increase of 335,000 euros or 1.48%. In 2023, decisions included a 0.5% salary rise, a special 200,000-euro adjustment for temporary staff, increases for three-year periods (30,000 euros), and higher insurance costs (50,000 euros).
While operating budgets, current transfers, and real investments declined, financial assets remained stable. Only personnel budgets grew, while the operating budget saw the largest drop, down 2% (129,000 euros) due to reduced investments by 1.24% and transfers by 0.77%. Notably, electricity costs were slashed dramatically, dropping from 1.2 million to 800,000 euros—a 33% reduction.
If the chamber’s overall economic accounts have not changed significantly after 28 months despite shifts in the chamber’s composition, the subsidies for parliamentary groups have also adjusted. The total subsidy remains at 3.5 million euros, but with two fewer groups than in 2023, each member of parliament receives about 80 euros more per month (1,480 euros in total).
Among the four groups, Compromís sees a smaller allocation due to the reduced number of MPs, totaling 590,000 euros and rising to 636,000 euros in 2023. The PP, by contrast, stands to nearly double its Cortes allocation relative to the previous parliament, driven by increasing its number of deputies from 19 to 40. This change lifts its annual funding from roughly 696,000 euros to about 1.3 million euros. PSPV follows with roughly 1.1 million euros annually, up from 936,000 euros in 2023, while Vox is set to receive 528,000 euros in 2024, a gain of 130,000 euros from the prior year.
These figures reflect the ongoing recalibration of parliamentary finances in light of changes to group representation and the broader fiscal framework. The document details how each line item aligns with policy priorities, and how any wage-related adjustments could ripple through both regional and national accounts, setting a pattern for future budgeting cycles. The figures cited here are drawn from the preliminary draft budget accessible to the press, and noted as provisional pending final approval by the proper authorities. For readers seeking further clarity on how these allocations interact with the 2024 state and regional budgets, this report provides a consolidated view of salary provisions, operating costs, and the distribution model that funds parliamentary groups.