The regional Executive has presented its preliminary draft budget for 2025, which reaches 6,431 million, 1.2% more than in 2024. The areas of Health, Education, Social Rights, Housing and Culture account for 55.2% of the total of the Budget. The Department of Health takes the majority of this total percentage, 45.73%.
Thus, the Department of Health directs its budgetary efforts to the objective of reducing waiting lists in 2025, as a result of the decisions made during the first year of the legislature, although other areas that will continue to be strengthened are not left aside, such as research and innovation.
Likewise, work will be done on improving Primary Care, launching the professional career of health personnel at levels C and D, and completing the professional recognition process for temporary health personnel at levels A and B, already in progress. in 2024, community care, occupational health, health prevention, with improvements and expansion in cancer screening, and the launch of the medical transport company Bidean.
Health takes the majority of social spending – Photo: ARCHIVE
Regarding investments, in terms of equipment, it is planned to acquire three mammographs, a monoplane angiograph, two neuronavigators and a robotic surgery unit in 2025 and, among the works that are planned to be undertaken, is a large part of the execution of the new health center in Villava, the work of the Emergency and ICU area at the García Orcoyen Hospital in Estella and the expansion of the pharmacy service at the Reina Sofía Hospital in Tudela.
On the other hand, the drafting of the projects for the new Ripagaina health center, Gayarre (Tudela Oeste), the Pediatric ICU (HUN) and the Sleep Unit (HUN) will be finalized, which will have a greater impact on investments in the coming years. 2026 and 2027.
The Department of Social Rights, Social Economy and Employment sees its budget increased to address its priority lines of action. On the one hand, policies are planned to encourage access to quality employment, the promotion of the social economy and entrepreneurship – tripling aid for self-employment – as well as to reduce accident rates and the gender gap with the creation of the figure of equality agents.
On the other hand, the items to care for dependency, the elderly, disabilities and minors are reinforced. The plan to improve infrastructure for the renovation and construction of new centers and residences will continue to be promoted, and coordination with new public squares will continue to increase. The budget is also reinforced to consolidate the social shield for vulnerable individuals, families and minors and to fight inequality through development cooperation.
INCREASE THE PUBLIC HOUSING PARK
The preliminary draft budget on Housing includes two priority lines that are clearly reinforced with respect to the year 2024. On the one hand, the Department of Housing, Youth and Migration Policies will promote an increase of 250% in the trial and withdrawal lines and acquisition of housing with the aim of increasing the public housing stock to make it available to citizens at an affordable price. On the other hand, all lines will be reinforced for the plans that will be carried out once the declaration of stressed residential market areas is produced, which will be carried out in the near future.
The preliminary draft of the Budget of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, for its part, proposes to continue advancing in cultural, sports and tourism public policies. The implementation of the new Strategic Plans for Culture and Sports will mark the roadmap for the coming years in these areas. In tourism, the challenge for 2025 is to promote the competitiveness of the business fabric of the tourism sector through a regulatory framework that allows the sustainable development of this industry.
Support for the sector, agents, associations, clubs, federations and local entities is consolidated with specific items and calls that endorse the department’s commitment to the territory in the dissemination, promotion and development of culture, tourism and physical activity, all of them with a clear commitment to sports and women, adapted sports and indigenous sports.
The NextGeneration European Funds represent a great opportunity to materialize sustainable projects, focused on energy efficiency and Destination Tourism Development Plans, which seek to energize and promote tourism resources throughout the Navarrese territory.
Finally, the Department of Memory and Coexistence, Basque and Foreign Action consolidates and reinforces the main strategic lines in its three axes. In the first, the completion of the renovation of the Marqués de Rozalejo building, the development of the II Coexistence Plan or the continuity of the Schools with Memory, Peace and Coexistence, as well as the work and recognition of victims from different contexts, stand out. .
In linguistic matters, progress is being made in facilitating access to teaching Basque for adults, in supporting entities, especially social ones, with aid and agreements, or in promoting Basque among youth and in new technologies. Regarding Foreign Action, the Second Strategic Plan will be prepared and support for the Navarrese communities will be strengthened by creating the Council of Navarrese Communities Abroad, in addition to promoting cross-border collaboration and the presence of Navarre in Europe through the Brussels office and with the presidency of the Euro region, prior to that of the Pyrenees Work Community (CTP).
EDUDATION AND CULTURE
The Department of Education, for its part, allocates a significant part of its accounts to cover teacher salary increases, the cost derived from unexpected enrollment and the increase linked to the massive hiring of interim teachers. This takes the form of a significant reinforcement in the centers, with more therapeutic pedagogy, hearing and language and guidance professionals, and in the consolidation of bilingual vocational training cycle teachers.
Highlights the commitment that has been made to guarantee, for the first time in the history of education in Navarra, the free first cycle of Early Childhood Education in public and municipally owned schools throughout Navarra in this academic year 24-25, and the progress towards the universalization of the cycle through the creation of new public places for 0-3, the construction of outstanding infrastructures such as the new Egunsenti nursery school of the Department in Ripagaina and the attention to the diversity of the students in all cycles and stages.
The investments in equipment and the works in different vocational training centers (Tudela, Oronoz, etc.), consolidate the power of the five public centers belonging to the Spanish network of centers of excellence and complete the resizing of the FP. Other actions included in the draft Budget are the equipment of the ikasNOVA and ATECA classrooms, new investments in educational digitalization, improvements to the regional dining room service and the strengthening of a complex school transportation network.
The implementation of the new Strategic Plans for Culture and Sports will mark the roadmap for the coming years in these areas. In tourism, the challenge for 2025 is to promote the competitiveness of the business fabric of the tourism sector through a regulatory framework that allows the sustainable development of this industry.
Support for the sector, agents, associations, clubs, federations and local entities is consolidated with specific items and calls that endorse the department’s commitment to the territory in the dissemination, promotion and development of culture, tourism and physical activity, all of them with a clear commitment to sports and women, adapted sports and indigenous sports.