Spanish Government Moves €309.8 Million from Education to Presidency Ministry

The Spanish government approved a transfer of €309.8 million from the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sport to the Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with Parliament on July 14. The funds will cover payroll, social security contributions and pay supplements for civil servants in the presidency ministry.

Officials said the transfer addresses shortfalls created by rising public-sector pay under the extended budget.

Background on the Budget Extension Spain has operated without a new national budget for three financial years. Any spending that exceeds the 2023 allocations must be covered by moving funds between ministries. The presidency ministry allocates more than 73 percent of its ordinary funds to staff costs. Officials stated that these costs have exceeded the original budget lines.

April the same government moved nearly €30 million from the education ministry to the justice ministry for digitalization projects. The current transfer is more than ten times larger and is directed at operating costs rather than investment. The education ministry has recently announced grants for vocational training and European recovery funds.

The agreement does not specify which education programs will receive reduced funding after the transfer. The Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility has warned that repeated budget extensions limit oversight of public spending. Opposition parties now have a specific figure and date to cite in debates over education priorities.