Concòrdia Proposes 19 Amendments to Slash Andorra's 2026 Budget for Housing, Health Priorities

The parliamentary group Concòrdia has submitted 19 amendments to Andorra's 2026 general budget bill, proposing cuts to EU relations, Andorra Turisme funding, and transport initiatives to prioritize housing, social welfare, innovation, education, health, and language programs.

Documents accessed by *El Periòdic*, *Altaveu*, *Diari d'Andorra*, *Bon Dia*, and *ARA* detail targeted reductions in the State Secretariat for Relations with the EU, led by Marc Vila Riba. Concòrdia deems the €250,000 fixed staff budget excessive and suggests cutting it to about €150,000. It also calls for slashing €600,000 from external consultancies tied to the EU Association Agreement, citing overestimation of current goods spending at €1,257,054.73. A €127,500 allocation for "advertising and propaganda" in institutional communications would be scrapped entirely, with the group arguing the government should not promote the agreement. The amendments would further restrict expandable credits in the ministries of Transformació Digital, Mobility and Transport, the EU secretariat, and Equality, due to vague details on communication expenses.

In tourism, Concòrdia seeks to reallocate €2 million from Andorra Turisme—whose budget outlets peg between €8-10 million—to fund a business innovation and creation zone, while redirecting other savings to housing, education, health, and research. Some reports mention larger potential cuts of up to €10 million, but the group highlights €2 million specifically for innovation.

Transport changes would limit funding for air link technical studies, viewed as expensive with uncertain economic benefits, and trim €800,000 from road paving. Savings would support a new segregated public transport line, akin to a tram, linking Sant Julià de Lòria and Escaldes-Engordany parishes, building on existing route studies.

Social measures include increasing Caixa Andorrana de Seguretat Social funding to extend second-parent birth leave to 10 weeks in 2026, surpassing the government's six-week proposal. Additional proposals allocate €5,000 for a Ministry of Social Affairs strategy against undesired loneliness among the elderly and vulnerable; €30,000 to equip self-learning Catalan centres in Sant Julià de Lòria, Ordino, and Andorra la Vella for better territorial access and social cohesion; and €2,000 for the Comissió per al foment de l’accessibilitat.

Further cuts target high-ranking officials' salaries and special relations staff (nearly €1.5 million total), the National Cybersecurity Agency (€500,000 savings by shifting roles to government departments), and a one-off productivity bonus for civil servants and justice workers, approved by late-2025 decree without parliamentary debate. Concòrdia also aims to lower the Tribunal de Comptes reporting threshold for private entities receiving public aid from €300,000 to €100,000.

The amendments are now entering committee review as budget debates continue.