Leadership Changes in Education and Interior
Two senior officials have been replaced in the Catalan government this week as President Salvador Illa grapples with mounting crises in key departments. On Monday, Education Minister Esther Niubó replaced Secretary General Teresa Sambola with Marta Clari, a former manager at the Barcelona City Council, following the invalidation of Catalonia’s results in the OECD’s PISA tests due to sampling errors. The National Institute for Educational Evaluation (INEE) had warned Catalonia up to seven times in April 2025 to correct the student selection process, which excluded 23% of pupils, far above the OECD’s 5% threshold. Despite these alerts, no evidence shows the information was properly relayed to schools. Niubó confirmed the department has opened three disciplinary proceedings over the failure.
If these warnings had been heeded, there would still have been time to resolve the issue.
Marta Clari, a clinical child psychologist and social pedagogue, has held multiple management roles in Barcelona’s local government since 1990, including leadership positions in education, culture, and social rights.
Interior Department Overhaul
At the Interior Department, Minister Núria Parlon has replaced her deputy, Tomàs Carrión, with Joana Ricardo. The department stated Carrión left voluntarily, but his tenure was marked by controversy, including the politically sensitive appointment of Josep Lluís Trapero as Police Director General and a pilot scheme to place plainclothes Mossos d'Esquadra in schools. Other flashpoints included police infiltration of a teachers’ assembly and the use of pepper spray during pro-Palestinian demonstrations. The changes come after Social Rights Minister Mònica Martínez Bravo stepped down before summer, citing personal reasons linked to her family’s roots in Madrid.
Further Reshuffle Expected
More changes are anticipated. Sílvia Paneque, executive spokesperson and Minister of Territory, is widely expected to return to local politics in Girona. Her current role has been overshadowed by ongoing Rodalies commuter rail disruptions, including a fatal accident in Gelida and a two-day service suspension in January. Health Minister Olga Pané has also repeatedly requested to leave due to personal reasons and faces criticism over healthcare labour disputes.
Financing Gains Amid Political Strains
Despite internal turbulence, the government secured a major policy win with the approval of a new regional financing model by the Fiscal and Financial Policy Council on 04 September 2026. The model, backed by Catalonia and the Canary Islands, will now proceed to the Council of Ministers and Congress of Deputies. It includes a €21 billion increase in state contributions, expanded regional revenue from personal income tax (IRPF) and VAT, and the elimination of advance payment systems to ensure faster fund access. However, housing reform remains stalled. A bill to limit speculative property purchases, supported by the Comuns, received a negative assessment from the Council of Statutory Guarantees (CGE) for breaching constitutional protections of private property. Without progress, support for the 2027 budget from coalition partners may be at risk. The 2026 budget’s approval remains the government’s key achievement, enabling major investments such as a plan to deliver 50,000 social housing units and the development of the new Hospital Clínic.
Primary sources: eb.gencat.cat. Reported by elnacional.cat, en.ara.cat, democrata.es, catalannews.com, elconstitucional.es, Diari ARA.
