Concòrdia Proposes €10M Tourism Cuts to Fund Housing, Health in Andorra 2026 Budget

The parliamentary group Concòrdia has submitted 19 amendments to Andorra's 2026 general budget bill, seeking cuts in tourism promotion and administrative positions to redirect funds toward housing, health, education, innovation, and social programs.

These proposals, now under Finance Committee review alongside 46 others that passed the Sindicatura's regulatory check, face a compressed schedule ahead of a potential full Consell General vote on January 22. The Sindicatura rejected 15 amendments: six from Demòcrates per Andorra and six from Ciutadans Compromesos, all linked to the Data Protection Agency's (APDA) accounts—specifically proposals to sell the agency's vehicle and reallocate funds for books, mail, and similar items, requested by new APDA head Jèssica Obiols to adjust budgets set by her predecessor Resma Punjabi—plus three from the Partit Socialista, including one mandating inflation adjustments on all salaries. Andorra Endavant submitted amendments but missed the extended deadline, leaving them out. Committee members began reviewing the valid proposals this week, with three more meetings planned next week to expedite decisions, as sources expect the majority to prioritize speed and likely reject many opposition changes. If approved on the 22nd, the budget could enter force by mid-February.

Concòrdia's amendments propose slashing Andorra Turisme's funding by €10 million, viewed as mismatched to the state's finances, and redirecting €2 million to an innovation and business hub plus housing aid. Additional savings target senior posts and special relations staff (€1.5 million), the State Secretariat for EU Relations (€250,000 personnel, €127,500 communications, €600,000 technical studies), road paving (€800,000), and air transport studies with questionable returns.

Priorities for reallocation include a dedicated public transport line resembling a tram from Sant Julià de Lòria to Escaldes-Engordany, building on prior route studies; over €360,000 to extend CASS paid parental leave for the second parent to 10 weeks in 2026, exceeding the government's six-week plan; €5,000 for a Ministry of Social Affairs initiative against loneliness in the elderly and vulnerable; and €2,000 for the Accessibility Promotion Commission under last November's universal accessibility law.

Further ideas cover €30,000 for new Catalan self-learning centers in Andorra la Vella, Ordino, and Sant Julià de Lòria using flexible staffing credits; scrapping the National Cybersecurity Agency (€500,000 savings) by shifting duties to existing units; ending a justice staff productivity bonus pending parliamentary debate; and dropping the Audit Office oversight threshold for private grants from €300,000 to €100,000.

The push reflects Concòrdia's emphasis on efficiency amid record proposed hires, even as separate tracks advance: the Economy legislative commission started assessing 44 amendments to the "ómnibus 2" bill on sustainable growth measures—with doubts over a January 22 vote given the tight timeline, possibly delaying to March despite urgency claims—and a special study commission nears its January 31 deadline for a land law (LOGTU) reform report, to be validated in a March plenary, potentially followed by a second panel to draft changes.