Cuerpo sets July as key date for Budgets and vindicates immigration in the economy: plans to present 2026 accounts "after summer"

The Government has taken this week the first step for the preparation of the General State Budgets (PGE) with the approval of the new macroeconomic framework, a roadmap that will serve as the basis for future public accounts and that foresees a growth of the Spanish economy of 2.6% in 2026. In this context, the Vice President of the Government and Minister of Economy, Trade and Business, Carlos Cuerpo, defended this Tuesday the Executive's strategy in budgetary, migratory and housing matters.

During an interview on La Hora de La 1, Cuerpo assured that the Government maintains the usual calendar to move forward with the Budgets and expressed his confidence that the process can advance in the coming weeks. “We are moving within the traditional deadlines for ordinary presentation of Budgets (...) We hope that the vote can take place during the month of July so that after summer we can proceed with the presentation,” he stated.

Carlos Cuerpo, vicepresidente primero y ministro de Economía, en #LaHora30J, sobre la búsqueda de apoyos y la presión sobre el Gobierno:

🗣️"Para poder negociar, hay que presentarlos primero" pic.twitter.com/MoVdk2LpoI

— La Hora de La 1 (@LaHoraTVE) June 30, 2026

Cuerpo's statements come just one day after the Council of Ministers approved the macroeconomic framework that will serve as a reference for the preparation of public accounts. The document improves growth forecasts for 2026, raising the previous estimate by four tenths to 2.6%, and predicts that the Spanish economy will maintain an expansion rate above 2% in the coming years. According to the Executive's calculations, GDP will grow by 2.2% in 2027, 2.1% in 2028, and 2% in 2029.

Another issue addressed by the minister has been the evolution of energy prices and the Executive's decision to begin withdrawing some of the extraordinary measures approved during the crisis generated by the Iran war. In this context, the vice president has defended the gradual deactivation of fuel aid, arguing that prices have recovered to levels prior to the most recent geopolitical conflicts. "Gasoline is already below where it was before the war, and diesel is getting close. Therefore, it is a clear signal for us to start deactivating those aids," he explained.

Precisely, the Government approved this Monday the extension for three more months of some measures included in the so-called social shield, among them the progressive reduction of VAT applied to fuels.

The Minister of Economy also defended immigration in terms of its importance for the labor market and for the growth of the Spanish economy. "From an economic perspective, one of the main bottlenecks that sectors point out to us when it comes to growth is the absence of labor," he asserted.

Regarding the housing crisis, one of the main political fronts of the legislature, the minister announced that the Executive is working on a broad regulatory package to try to gather parliamentary support. "We are going to try to negotiate with a complete housing decree-law. What we want is for all necessary measures to be included to move forward," he indicated.

Carlos Cuerpo, ministro de Economía, sobre el paquete de vivienda que prepara el Gobierno:

🗣️"Vamos a intentar llevar una negociación con un decreto-ley de vivienda completo. Lo que queremos es que se incluyan todas las medidas necesarias para avanzar."#LaHora30J pic.twitter.com/X7PdWLwBim

— La Hora de La 1 (@LaHoraTVE) June 30, 2026

The Government intends to promote new actions to facilitate access to housing and contain the price escalation, an objective that has become one of the Executive's priorities after the announcement of different plans aimed at increasing residential supply and strengthening public policies in this area. With the Budgets, housing and immigration as the main axes of the political agenda, Carlos Cuerpo has defended the Government's economic roadmap and has expressed his confidence that the coming weeks will allow for the opening of a parliamentary negotiation that will lead to the presentation of the new public accounts after the summer.