The president of the Principality of Asturias, the socialist Adrián Barbón, insisted this Thursday on the convenience of agreeing on regional budgets in Asturias with a marked "social dimension," especially in the current context, which he described as a period of "new darkness in the world." "It reminds me a lot of Europe in the 1930s," he pointed out.
Barbón made these statements during the Plenary of the General Council of the Principality of Asturias (JGPA), in response to a question from the deputy of the Mixed Group, Covadonga Tomé, focused on the degree of execution of the regional accounts.
The head of the Asturian Executive explained that, as of August 30, "the overall execution was already at 56% of the budget." Regarding investments, he pointed out that "investments, when awarded, barring a tragedy, unless a company goes bankrupt, are executions that are executed," referring to the phase in which they are counted as executed.
The leader emphasized that "the overall execution of last year's budget exceeded 90%" and added that "in terms of investment it was at the average of the autonomous communities."
However, he identified two major obstacles that, in his opinion, hinder a higher execution. Firstly, he pointed to the public sector contracts law, which he described as "a cumbersome law, like everything that comes from Europe" and reiterated that "it is a law that needs to be put on the table the reality that a reform is needed, because otherwise it is impossible." He also reproached that some municipalities governed by the opposition have preferred to cut their investment allocations to "mask their very low execution."
The second major brake, according to Barbón, is the spending rule, which he denounced as "paralyzing the processing of any award" at the moment there is a risk that the Principality will exceed it.
Despite these limitations, the president wanted to emphasize the progress made thanks to the current budgets. He recalled that "thanks to having a budget" it has been possible to implement free university enrollment and that "0 to 3 is free public."
Likewise, it has emphasized that Asturias enjoys "a more sound economic position than ever" after "three years with budget surplus" and a debt "around 12% of our GDP." In this context, it has argued that progressive forces must bet on accounts "that have to have a social dimension" and "that have to be useful for the people."
For her part, Covadonga Tomé has expressed her concern about what she considers insufficient execution levels in Asturias. She has indicated that the data corresponding to the month of May was well below that of other autonomous communities in the investment chapter.
Tomé has focused on the Ministry of Science, Industry, and Employment, "key for digital transformation," which "would have only executed 2% of its investments, which would mean more than 320 million not spent."
In the field of public health, the parliamentarian has also criticized the low execution, reminding that "health infrastructures, the modernization of equipment, require direct investment to increase the capacity and quality of public health in Asturias." Likewise, she has censured that the limited execution in the Ministry of Planning "means that families, young people, and sectors with fewer resources still do not see real housing solutions," with 168 million euros pending to be invested in housing.
In light of this situation, Tomé has demanded that the president "conduct an audit to map as accurately as possible and thus be able to eliminate those 'bureaucratic bottlenecks' before the first quarter of 2027 in the different investing ministries" and has warned that she is not willing to sign blank checks for the money to end up "staying on paper or in budget promises that are not fulfilled."
The deputy has concluded emphasizing that "the success of a budget is not measured only by the total expenditure figure approved" but "by the real capacity to transform those items into works, into infrastructures, and into tangible services for the citizens," emphasizing that "our trust will be earned not by budgeting, but by executing."