Alaitz Zabala has been appointed Director of Budget, replacing Garay

Alaitz Zabala Zarate has been appointed Director of Budgets by the Governing Council of the Basque Government, while Josu Iñaki Garay Ibáñez de Elejalde has been removed from the position at the same time. Both decisions were approved at the Governing Council meeting held on September 15, 2026, and were published in issue number 179 of the Boletín Oficial del País Vasco on September 18, 2026, in the appointments and situations section of the Department of Treasury and Finance. The appointment is contained in Decree 152/2026; the removal, meanwhile, in Decree 151/2026.

The two decrees and their effectiveness

Decree 152/2026, of September 15, 2026, appoints Ms. Alaitz Zabala Zarate as Director of Budgets in its sole article. The final provisions of the decree specify that it will enter into force the day after its publication in the Boletín Oficial del País Vasco, that is, on September 19, 2026.

Decree 151/2026, of the same day, decided to remove Mr. Josu Iñaki Garay Ibáñez de Elejalde from the position of Director of Budgets, thanking him for the services rendered. In this case, the final provisions state that the effectiveness begins on the day of publication, September 18, 2026.

• Appointment: Decree 152/2026, of September 15, 2026, official reference 2026/3931.
• Removal: Decree 151/2026, of September 15, 2026, official reference 2026/3930.
• Publication: Boletín Oficial del País Vasco, number 179, September 18, 2026.

Who decided and on what legal basis

Both decrees were approved upon the proposal of Noël d’Anjou Olaizola, Minister of Treasury and Finance, after being discussed and approved by the Governing Council at the meeting held on September 15, 2026. The texts were signed by President Imanol Pradales Gil and the aforementioned Minister in Vitoria-Gasteiz, on September 15, 2026.

The legal basis is established by Law 7/1981 (of June 30, 1981, regulating the Government), specifically articles 18.j), 26.6, and 29. These constitute the standard procedure for the appointment and removal of high-ranking officials, combining the Minister’s proposal and the Governing Council’s decision.

Background: from advisor post to directorship

The appointment has left no administrative vacuum. The Order of the Minister of Treasury and Finance of September 10, 2026 —reference 2026/3916, published in the issue of the Boletín Oficial del País Vasco dated September 17, 2026— removed Alaitz Zabala Zarate from her position as Economic Policy Advisor, from the post with code 5351 and allocation 1, as she moves to fill another position at the director level within the same department. According to that Order, the removal took effect on September 18, 2026.

That is, there is a precise continuity between the appointment and the leaving of the previous position: the advisory work ended on September 18 and the directorship of Budgets will begin on September 19.

Structure of financial management

The Budget Directorate is located within the Treasury and Finance department, and is overseen by the Vice-Ministry of Financial Policy and Budgets. That Vice-Ministry is, among other things, the body with the authority to initiate the enforcement procedure in cases of involuntary returns of subsidies, as stated in the calls published by that department.

The main task of the Directorate is to direct the Basque Government’s budget project and budget management; therefore, changes in leadership affect the entire financial cycle.

This change in position renews the leadership of the Basque Government’s financial management at a critical moment in the budget cycle. It should be noted that the two provisions have different effective dates: the dismissal entered into force on the day of publication, while the appointment took effect the following day; consequently, there was formally a transition day between them, although the administrative link between the appointment and the dismissal is clear.

Fuente: Boletín Oficial del País Vasco, n.º 179, 18 de septiembre de 2026, Autoridades y Personal (official reference: 2026/3931 y 2026/3930).