Groups representing Catalan counties have proposed redrawing Catalonia’s nine vegueries, or territorial administrative divisions, to reduce the relative influence of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, according to reporting published by El Confidencial on 16 August 2026.

The proposal matters to residents and local councils outside metropolitan Barcelona because its promoters want the redesigned vegueries to take on budgets and many responsibilities now held by county councils. The Barcelona Metropolitan Area groups 36 municipalities and 3.2 million residents.

Promoters have presented the Declaration of La Panadella, their manifesto, to Josep Rull, President of the Parliament of Catalonia, as well as Salvador Illa, President of the Generalitat, the Catalan government, and Albert Dalmau, Minister of the Presidency, El Confidencial reported.

Proposed changes to the territorial map

The manifesto proposes aligning the vegueries more closely with Catalonia’s provincial map. The current vegueries were created in 2013 and, according to the report, have limited political power.

  • Cerdanya would move from the Girona vegueria to Lleida.
  • Solsonès would leave Lleida and join Central Catalonia.
  • Baix Penedès would be incorporated into Penedès.

Geographer Jaume Casañas is cited as supporting the idea of making the provincial and vegueria maps coincide. The proposed structure would not break with Spain’s existing administrative model, according to the report.

Manifesto challenges metropolitan concentration

The signatories use the term “Barceluña” to describe what they fear is an excessive concentration of political influence around Barcelona, leaving other parts of Catalonia with less weight in major decisions.

“Without the rest of the Principality, without the rest of the nation, Barcelona not only loses its essence, but it loses all ability to compete globally.”

El Confidencial reported that about 100 mayors and councillors signed the Declaration of La Panadella. The promoting bodies include Impulsem Penedès, Impulsem Lleida, Impulsem Camp de Tarragona and l’Associació FEM Vallès, with Junts holding significant influence in those groups.

The report said the proposal could eventually require funding to be transferred from provincial councils to the redesigned vegueries. The provincial councils of Barcelona, Lleida and Tarragona are controlled by the PSC, the Socialists’ Party of Catalonia.

No parliamentary timetable or formal legislative proposal was specified in the reported presentation of the manifesto.

Reported by El Confidencial.