Barcelona, 6 October 2026, The president of ERC, Oriol Junqueras, accused the PSOE and Junts on Tuesday of blocking key financial measures that would have delivered €4.7 billion in additional annual funding to Catalonia and erased €17 billion in regional debt.

In an interview with Ser Catalunya, reported by Europa Press, Junqueras said the collapse of negotiations over the new autonomous financing model and the write-off of debt from the Autonomous Liquidity Fund (FLA) was a result of partisan interests. He described the outcome as a “colossal absurdity” and a “demonstration of selfishness, insensitivity, unawareness, and irresponsibility” by both parties.

"4.7 billion euros from the pockets of families in this country is better than zero, for sure. And everyone knows it. And everyone knows the state of education, health, social services, and infrastructure in this country,"

Junqueras stressed that the failed agreement would have significantly improved public services. The FLA debt cancellation alone would have removed €17 billion in liabilities, a move he said “everyone understands” is beneficial.

Political Blame and Future Conditions

Junqueras defended the early call for elections, calling it a responsible decision. He confirmed that ERC will impose new conditions if asked to support a future PSOE-led government, though he deemed a socialist majority “improbable”.

He contrasted ERC's approach with that of Junts, noting that his party has consistently backed Junts' proposals in Congress, while receiving no reciprocal support. “The difference is that ERC has always supported what Junts proposed in Congress. Always. And, on the other hand, Junts has not supported anything from ERC,” he said.

Governance and Missed Reforms

Beyond finance, Junqueras cited the stalled transfer of governance over the Barcelona Free Trade Zone Consortium and investment initiatives like the Consorcio de Inversiones as further examples of lost opportunities. These reforms were part of a broader package intended to strengthen Catalan self-governance and economic autonomy.

The criticism follows earlier moves by ERC to offer cooperation with Junts on advancing a fiscal agreement model, or “concierto económico”, despite Junts having previously rejected the ERC-PSOE financing deal as insufficient.

Reported by europapress.es, Europa Press, CatalunyaPress.es, abc.es, Europa Press Barcelona.