Spain's Social Economy Initiatives Gain Momentum with Institutional Backing in 2025
Recent events in Galicia and the Balearic Islands highlight growing institutional support for social economy initiatives in Spain, emphasizing sustainability and job creation.
- • Galicia allocates nearly 45 million euros to social economy and progresses a new Cooperative Law.
- • #Esdomar fair showcased social economy initiatives in the maritime sector with support from Eusumo.
- • The Fórum de Economías Transformadoras stressed the sector's role in sustainable economic models amid climate challenges.
- • Speakers called for more data, public policies, and cooperative hubs to strengthen the social economy.
Key details
On October 4, 2025, significant developments reinforced Spain's social economy sector, spotlighting its transformative potential with strong institutional support. In Galicia, Marta Marino, General Director of Self-Employment and Social Economy, highlighted the role of the Eusumo network at the #Esdomar fair in Vigo, an event dedicated to social economy initiatives within the maritime sector. The Galician government has earmarked nearly 45 million euros for social economy projects in 2025 and is advancing a new Cooperative Law aimed at streamlining the creation and consolidation of cooperative entities to adapt to today’s challenges (ID 86858).
Simultaneously, the third Fórum de Economías Transformadoras in Palma brought together social and solidarity economy actors to discuss how these initiatives can contribute to a sustainable economic model in the context of climate and social emergencies. Speakers like Jordi Garcia emphasized a four-pronged strategy focused on decretion, reconversion, redistribution, and democratization as vital for addressing global challenges. David Abril pointed out the need for comprehensive official data and reinforced public policies to support the sector's growth, while Laura Comas underscored the importance of cooperative hubs for community engagement and project incubation (ID 86861).
The forum's roundtable participants acknowledged the sector’s role in economic diversification, especially in agriculture and culture, but unanimously agreed that without robust institutional support, achieving a just and sustainable economic transition remains difficult. These events collectively affirm Spain’s ongoing commitment to fostering a socially inclusive, environmentally sustainable, and economically democratic economy through strengthened social economy frameworks and public backing.