Ms Vilalta said that the budget shows commitment to social, economic, green, feminist and democratic transformations and called upon the parties that made the president’s investiture possible “not to pass up this opportunity.”

Today, President Aragonès’ new Generalitat government will approve the bill for its first Budget 2022 which “will mean a clear change of direction for the country, a left turn in the context of a legislature for the defence of rights, of all rights,” said Esquerra’s Deputy Secretary General and spokeswoman, Marta Vilalta.

According to Ms Vilalta, it will be a budget with greater investment that will “definitively leave behind the cutbacks in social spending, and is committed to social, economic, green, feminist and democratic transformations.” That is why she called upon the parties that made the president’s investiture possible “not miss the opportunity to continue transforming and materializing the basis of the pact that initiated the legislature.”

Ms Vilalta explained the main budget allocations, one of which would be to progressively make education for 0-3 year-olds free. “Free P2 [pre-school for 2-3 year-olds] will benefit over 60,000 children and their families,” said Ms Vilalta. “There will also be an extraordinary reinforcement in primary care and in all areas of health,” she added.

“Culture is an essential good and that is why the government plans to increase investment there by €85.2 million,” and to gradually increase to reach 2% of the budget. In addition, “one of the most relevant aspects of this budget is the commitment and investment in housing to ensure access to decent homes for all in our country,” the spokeswoman remarked.

Furthermore, the budget will also include a new pilot scheme for Universal Basic Income, “a commitment of this government. Plus the creation of a programme to launch a public energy utility in our country,” as detailed earlier.

To sum up, Ms Vilalta concluded by saying that this left-wing, progressive, republican budget is “necessary to lift us out of the crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and will be of great benefit to the public.”

Esquerra Republicana’s commitment to fight climate change

Finally, the Deputy Secretary General and spokesperson reiterated the party’s commitment to the environment and to the fight climate change. “We are very pleased to announce that Catalonia has renewed its commitment by re-signing the agreement to achieve emissions neutrality and decarbonization in 2050 as part of the COP26 Conference in Glasgow,” she said.

Ms Vilalta also highlighted that President Aragonès had met with Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, “an important meeting in line with the synchronism of the shared challenges we have with Scotland: a referendum and independence,” she concluded.