During his participation in the "Competitiveness and territorial cohesion" roundtable, the head of the Executive noted that despite economic growth and job creation in Catalonia, prosperity is not translating into improved disposable income. Therefore, he advocated for a strategy focused on increasing residential supply, mobilizing existing housing stock, and implementing regulatory measures, stating that "when there is a market dysfunction, administrations must intervene to correct it".
The president also addressed the debate on regional financing, reiterating the need to reform a model he considers "outdated." He emphasized that the Catalan proposal "harms no one, seeks no privilege, and reduces differences between territories," and called for concrete alternatives from those who question it.
In the roundtable, moderated by the president of the Spanish Economic and Social Council, Antón Costas, the Lehendakari Imanol Pradales and the President of the Xunta de Galicia, Alfonso Rueda, also participated.
Illa advocated for unleashing Catalonia's full economic, industrial, and knowledge potential to enhance competitiveness. He recalled that "Euskadi and Catalonia together account for a quarter of Spain's GDP" and that "Galicia and Catalonia represent a third of Spain's exports," calling for improved infrastructure to prevent "everything from having to go through or originate from Madrid."
