Putting citizens at the heart of budget decisions: Catalunya’s lessons on participatory budgeting

The OECD’s Open Governance Unit supported the Government of Catalunya in the design and implementation of its first large-scale participatory budgeting process, “Parlem de Pressupostos”. Led by the Directorate General of Budgets with the support of the Directorate General of Open Government, the initiative aimed to pilot ways to engage citizens in deliberating on key fiscal policy decisions. The process served to test more inclusive participatory methodologies, foster cross-government collaboration, and generate actionable insights for embedding citizen voice into the budget cycle. It also laid the groundwork for institutionalising participatory budgeting as a regular practice in Catalunya.

Between 2024 and 2025, the Government of Catalunya undertook an ambitious participatory budgeting initiative titled Parlem de Pressupostos, with support from the OECD. This initiative aimed to enhance democratic governance by embedding citizen participation into the budgetary cycle of the Generalitat. The OECD played a foundational role in the project’s design and implementation, providing technical guidance, international benchmarking, and financial support.

The process culminated in a high-level event held on 10 July 2025 in Barcelona, which marked the official launch of the pilot’s final report. Organised by the Generalitat de Catalunya in collaboration with the OECD and DG REGIO, the event brought together public officials, international peers, and civil society actors to reflect on the outcomes of the participatory budgeting process. The event concluded with reflections on how to sustain and institutionalise citizen participation in budgetary governance in Catalunya, with lessons learnt from the City of Paris’ participatory budgeting process.

A Phased and Inclusive Process

Parlem de Pressupostos was conceived as a structured dialogue between government and citizens on four critical dimensions of public finance: debt management, revenue generation, expenditure priorities, and the strategic use of European cohesion funds. Through a combination of in-person deliberative sessions, online participation tools, and targeted outreach to underrepresented groups, the initiative sought to democratise fiscal decision-making and foster a culture of participation within the public sector.

The participatory process unfolded over four distinct phases. Throughout the development of the process, the OECD provided advice on methodological approaches and monitoring, with support from DG REGIO. The pilot began in spring 2024 with a series of formative sessions hosted at public universities and professional associations, designed to build capacity and awareness around the budget’s themes. This was followed by a year-long phase, where over 300 participants from diverse demographic and territorial backgrounds were invited through targeted invitations and open calls to deliberate on fiscal spending, debt cohesion funds and tax revenue priorities. Over this period, sixteen discussion sessions were held across Catalunya, included structured dialogues with adults and university students, as well as specially adapted workshops for children and adolescents, coordinated with UNICEF and local youth councils.

The third phase focused on synthesising the insights and proposals generated during the discussions. A comprehensive report was produced, capturing both quantitative preferences and qualitative arguments. The final phase, launched in July 2025, involved presenting the findings to institutional audiences, participants, and the broader public, including through the closing event in Barcelona co-hosted with the OECD.

Outcomes and Broader Impacts

While the process yielded several concrete recommendations — such as prioritising gradual debt reduction, increasing progressive and environmental taxation, and investing in health, education, and housing — the broader impacts of the initiative are equally noteworthy.

First, the project demonstrated a high level of participant satisfaction. According to post-session evaluations, over 90% of respondents felt that the sessions were well-prepared, inclusive, and conducive to meaningful dialogue. Participants reported a strong sense of empowerment and appreciation for being consulted on matters traditionally reserved for technical or political domains. This feedback underscores the value of deliberative formats in fostering civic trust and institutional legitimacy.

Second, the initiative catalysed unprecedented coordination across government departments. The Directorate General of Budgets led the process, with strategic support from the Directorate General of Open Government. The involvement of universities, professional associations, and civil society organisations further enriched the process, creating a blueprint for multi-actor cooperation which could serve for future participatory initiatives.

Third, the inclusion of children and adolescents marked a significant innovation in participatory practice. Through tailored methodologies and pedagogical tools, young participants were able to engage meaningfully with complex fiscal issues. Their contributions — particularly around priorities such as health, education, and environmental sustainability — were integrated into the final report, demonstrating the feasibility and value of intergenerational dialogue in public policy.

Finally, the process contributed to a broader cultural shift within the administration. By opening up the budgetary debate to public scrutiny and deliberation, the Generalitat signalled its commitment to transparency, responsiveness, and democratic values. The initiative also generated insights into citizens’ expectations, values, and trade-offs, which can inform not only budgetary decisions but also broader policy design.

Next Steps: Institutionalisation and Implementation

The Generalitat has committed to integrating the findings of Parlem de Pressupostos into the 2026 budget cycle, including accompanying the draft budget with a synthesis report detailing how citizen input was reflected in fiscal decisions. This marks an important step toward institutionalising participatory budgeting as a regular feature of Catalunya’s public finance governance.

Beyond this immediate commitment, the Generalitat’s final report outlines several strategic recommendations for the future, including on scaling up and expanding territorial coverage in future iterations, refining methodologies, building capacities within public administration to deliver high-quality participation, and investing in monitoring and evaluation capacities to track the impact of participatory budgeting. The process also highlighted the need to continue strengthening interdepartmental collaboration, deepening exchanges with budgetary, social, environmental, and territorial departments to ensure coherence and strategic alignment. Finally, youth and child participation will be systematised to ensure continued diversity in participation.

The peer exchange with the City of Paris — which has progressively scaled its participatory budgeting model since 2014 — also provided practical insights for Catalunya’s next steps. Key elements included developing a clear legal and procedural framework, leveraging hybrid approaches to digital and in-person participation, and implementing targeted outreach campaigns to underheard communities. The importance of sustained political support, internal coordination and transparent communication were also mentioned. These insights provided a useful comparative reference for Catalunya as it considers how to further embed citizen participation in fiscal governance.