The political year begins without any new developments: with the Catalan government awaiting news from Vox.
The start of parliamentary activity gives way to key months for housing, overcrowding, and the most ideological laws conditioned by the relationship with the far right.
PalmThe political year kicks off on Tuesday in Parliament with a feeling of déjà-vuThe Catalan government left important tasks unfinished in 2025, but it finds itself in the same situation as when Marga Prohens came to power in 2023: Vox will once again be the key to passing any significant decision. The People's Party (PP) has started the year with the same talking points it used the day after the elections: it governs in minority and is willing to reach agreements with all parties. But the Vice President of the Government, Antoni Costa, has already made it clear that the natural partner for negotiating initiatives is the far right. And after the setback with the Democratic Memory Law—it had to be repealed, then not, and finally, yes—the left is not in a position to crutch any measure taken by the PP government.
For its part, Vox will continue its attacks on two main fronts: migration and language, in addition to housing, with land liberalization as its key strategy. "We are going to continue to be tough on the issues the PP is failing to address," asserted the spokesperson for the far-right party, Manuela Cañadas, after the first meeting of the year of the Parliament's Board of Spokespersons. Cañadas recalled that the government was unable to pass the budget because Vox withdrew its support and accused the Popular Party of breaking the agreements made to invest Prohens as president. "You cannot be trusted; you have deceived us on several occasions," proclaimed the Vox spokesperson on December 2nd, the day Parliament rejected the government's spending cap. "On issues of memory and language, our vote will be as we had agreed," clarified the PP spokesperson, Sebastià Sagreras. Thus, the Democratic Memory Law's days are numbered. It remains to be seen how the Popular Party will deal with Vox's demands to further marginalize Catalan in schools – the PP did not allow Vox's proposed amendment to the Education Law to pass.
Housing: an endless emergency
The government's housing measures have not worked so far: only about sixty apartments have been added to the Safe Rental program; the change of use for commercial premises and the increase in building heights have not yielded the expected results; and the construction of public housing is at a standstill. If the land liberalization implemented by the government does not work, 2026 will end as it began: with an excessive number of families in precarious situations. A comparison illustrates the situation: in June 2023, there were 4,638 people on the waiting list of the Balearic Housing Institute (Ibavi), while in October 2025 there were already 9,296. Double in just over two years and with no commitment to public housing on the horizon.
One of the sectors that most affects housing is tourism. The fact is that the Government doesn't have jurisdiction over tourism regulation, but it is affected by the lack of decisive action from the Consell de Mallorca in the fight against illegal tourist rentals, which has a significant impact on the shortage of rental properties and the constant rise in prices.
Nor is there any light at the end of the saturation tunnel. Two contrasting news items from January 21st illustrate this point: while the Government was congratulating itself at Fitur on the change in trend and the deseasonalization that, without any effective measures, it claims is being achieved, it also announced that the Balearic Islands received 19 million tourists last year – Prohens spoke of "excessive" tourism in 2020. Despite good intentions, the Executive will find it very difficult to raise the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS) this year, because its natural partner is not willing to go along with it.
As for the left, it will have to work to avoid completely losing its ability to influence policy with a Government that prioritizes maintaining Vox's support above all else – the repeal of the Historical Memory Law is a clear example of this. In fact, neither the PSIB nor MÁS per Mallorca – both progressive parties with their own parliamentary groups – have managed to capitalize on a social discontent that was strong at the beginning of the legislature but has now subsided. Currently, the disconnect between public opinion and parliamentary activity is complete.
The progressive parties will also have to manage and consolidate their internal leadership, because this is the last full year before the regional elections. If political polarization has been a defining characteristic of the legislature, the countdown will intensify it, and the parties will have to ideologically regroup.