ELA has denounced that the Basque budgets involve "cuts in health and education"

ELA  has denounced that the 2026 draft budget presented by the Basque Government "has cuts in health and education  ", which, in its opinion," are not expansive "and will grow by only 1.3%, despite the fact that the executive" announces an increase of 4.1% ".

This is the main conclusion of the assessment report of the 2026 ACV budget proposal made by the Trade Union Studies Office, which was presented to the media on Monday.

According to the study, the amount of the current draft budget is EUR 16,378 million, but taking into account the 2025 closure forecast, which the union estimates is EUR 16,034 million, "the 2026 project foresees an increase of 2.1%".

The union believes that "the item to pay the debt (€1,146 million) and the item to advance the works should be deducted", so itisestimated by the executive du that there will be "an operating budget of €15,164 million". Consequently, the union believes that "although the government has announced an increase of 4.1%, the budget has increased by only 1.3%".

It also compares the 2026 budget with the planned closure of 2025 and concludes that "both the health and education items are falling. The data indicate that by 2026, one million less will be invested in health than in 2025, and 191 million less in education. "

At this point, he mentions that the Basque Government has introduced, as a novelty, an item of 935 million from the Basque Financial Alliance by 2026, but for ELA "this amount should not be included in the budget because it is an extraordinary debt issue". According to the union,  "is making interested use of the Basque Financial Alliance fund by exaggerating the numbers of the entire budget project."

Withregard to housing, ELA has stated that Councilor Denis Itxaso has "danced figures for propaganda purposes." They have specified that "a budget of 482 million has been presented for 2026, but data up to September 2025 indicate that this year's expenditure will be 496 million." The union has been "surprised" that this is "intended to be sold as a significant increase."

Aitor Murgia, a member of the ELA Research Cabinet who presented the report, believes that the Basque Government has used thebudget"as one of the best propaganda events of the year", but points out that the day to day sees "a decline in public services or difficulties in accessing housing".

Finally, Murgia recalled that the budgets are mainly financed by taxes and that, therefore, it is the working class that "supports public services". In connection with this, he explained that "the collection of taxes in the ACV will be 10% higher than last year" and that "records of EUR 20 billion will be exceeded", but he said that "why income from companies will fall by 14%".