Réunion's Regional Council has adopted a 2026 budget of €1.06 billion, with over €541 million earmarked for investment — a 22.7% rise on the previous year. Simultaneously, construction of the final section of the Nouvelle Route du Littoral (NRL) coastal road has officially begun, with completion targeted for June 2030.
A rising budget despite political headwinds
The 2026 budget marks a break with the austerity logic that had weighed on local finances. Investment surging 22.7% comes in a context the Regional presidency itself describes as «significantly uncertain» — national constraints, rising interest rates and political instability. Regional debt is nonetheless declining. The Region frames this ambition as «an investment for future generations».
NRL final phase: timeline and stakes
The official launch of works on the NRL's final section is the budget's headline event. Running through 2030, these works aim to permanently secure the island's main coastal artery between Saint-Denis and the West — regularly cut off by rockfalls. The project's cumulative cost runs into the billions since its inception. For the island's construction sector and its subcontractors, the employment and contract implications are enormous.
Ecological transition and high schools
The budget allocates €341.8 million to ecological transition — renewables, sustainable mobility and water management. An accelerated high school modernisation programme is also underway, covering infrastructure upgrades and digital equipment across all establishments. Economic development receives €99.8 million, including support for innovation, exports and priority industries.
Why it matters
Réunion is betting on massive public investment as a medium-term competitiveness lever. The NRL — long a symbol of institutional gridlock — is finally becoming a real construction site. For businesses, service providers and investors on the island, this visibility on public projects to 2030 sends a strong signal. The real test will be the Region's ability to hold this timeline amid national fiscal pressures.