The public accounts provide for an increase of 13.7% in the total consolidated budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, which will receive a total of 2,192.87 million euros for 2023. Under this budgetary allocation, the Ministry headed up by José Manuel Albares will contribute 1,181.81 millon euros to Official Development Aid in 2023, an increase of 23% on the previous year – the largest rise since 2010. This contribution accounts for 27.69% of the total allocation from the General State Administration.
As contained in the General State Budget (Spanish acronym: PGE) submitted to begin its passage through Parliament, the consolidated budget for 2023, which includes the revenue allocated to the Ministry, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (Spanish acronym: AECID) and the Cervantes Institute, amounts to 2,192.87 million euros, of which 49.25 million, charged to the RTRP, will be allocated to investments in consular digitalisation, digital cooperation and the integral digital transformation of the teaching and dissemination of Spanish culture and language abroad.
The PGE will also bolster with 48 million euros the General Administration and Services Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, which will receive a budgetary allocation of 544 million euros in 2023. This figure will be used to cover the maintenance of the common services at the official headquarters, along with the embassies and consular offices. This budgetary item will also be used to improve the infrastructure and functioning of the common services and to address the price rise in supplies and services caused by inflation and the unfavourable evolution of exchange rates.
Spanish Presidency
In the second half of 2023, Spain will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, an exceptional event due to its infrequent nature. The last time Spain held the Presidency was back in 2010. To this end, employing a rigorous exercise in rationalisation and efficiency in the preparation of the budget, the Ministry has budgeted for a total of 19.61 million euros to be allocated to fund staff costs, the organisation of conferences, meetings and the fitting-out of spaces where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs plans to organise 62 meetings.
The PGE maintains the commitment to multilateral action, with a special focus on actions to defend human rights. To achieve that, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will receive an appropriation of 505.59 million euros to be allocated to contributions to international bodies to continue supporting the work of United Nations agencies and thus comply with the commitments contained in the 2030 Agenda.
The Spanish language, as a great cultural asset, has the Cervantes Institute as its benchmark, which will receive an allocation of 167.46 million euros in 2023, a rise of 3.95%. The transfer of funds from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation to the Cervantes Institute will rise by 5.87%. This budgetary item will be completed with 0.2 million euros to be allocated to the round of proposals for a line of subsidies, to be awarded on a competitive basis, for activities of interest to promote and expand the Spanish language beyond our borders.