The tension surrounding budget approvals in Catalonia has led to a rare political alliance between President of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, and Catalan President Salvador Illa. While Sánchez faces challenges in securing his government’s budget, Illa is making strides on a potential budget for 2026. He has taken the initial steps to develop the budget in his council meeting despite lacking assurances that it will succeed due to the opposition from ERC. The financial plans proposed include significant social spending and investments, with initial approval from the Comunes party. However, the path is fraught with uncertainties due to the absence of negotiations with ERC, which has a pivotal role in budgetary agreements.