¿Cuánto puede ganar un directivo? El debate de los bonus en Europa
Oct 18, 2026·1 min read·Graded Spanish · word-by-word audio
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CaixaBank es un banco grande de España. Ahora pide un cambio a la Unión Europea. Quiere que los bonus de sus directivos no tengan límite. Un bonus es dinero extra que recibe un trabajador. Hoy la ley europea pone un tope a este dinero. El tope es el 100% del salario fijo.
¿Por qué quiere CaixaBank este cambio? La entidad dice que Europa necesita bancos competitivos. Los bancos europeos no pueden atraer a los mejores profesionales. En Estados Unidos y en Reino Unido no hay estos límites. Por eso, los directivos prefieren trabajar allí. CaixaBank cree que esta situación es un problema para la banca europea.
La Comisión Europea ya habla de este tema. En un informe dice que la competitividad también depende de los salarios. Bruselas va a preparar una gran reforma del sector bancario para 2027. No sabemos si va a eliminar los límites o solo va a flexibilizarlos. Pero el debate está abierto y es importante para el futuro de la banca.
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Watch out, English speaker
Spanish 'poder + infinitive' often translates directly to English 'can + verb,' but English speakers may overuse 'can' for permission or ability in contexts where Spanish uses other structures. Remember that 'no poder + infinitive' means 'cannot' and is not the same as 'must not' (which is 'no deber + infinitive').
When using 'poder' in questions or negations, English speakers might forget that the verb is conjugated to match the subject, not the infinitive. For example, 'Los bancos no pueden atraer' means 'Banks cannot attract,' but a common mistake is to leave 'poder' unconjugated or to use 'puede' with a plural subject.
Key vocabulary
bonusm.
bonus, extra pay
“Quiere que los bonus de sus directivos no tengan límite.”— He wants the bonuses of his executives to have no limit.
Pattern bonus anual annual bonus
Compare prima f. bonus
Plural: bonus (invariable)
💡 From Latin bonus (good); English borrowed it and Spanish also uses it directly
directivom.
executive, manager
“Los directivos prefieren trabajar allí.”— Executives prefer to work there.
Pattern directivo de banco bank executive
Compare ejecutivo m. executive
Plural: directivos; feminine: directiva
💡 From dirigir (to lead); the suffix -ivo means "person who does..."
límitem.
limit, boundary
“En Estados Unidos no hay estos límites.”— In the United States there are no such limits.
Pattern poner un límite to set a limit
Compare tope m. upper limit
Plural: límites
💡 From Latin limes (boundary); cognate with English limit
competitivoadj.
competitive
“Europa necesita bancos competitivos.”— Europe needs competitive banks.
Pattern ser competitivo to be competitive
Compare competente adj. capable
Feminine: competitiva; plural: competitivos
💡 From competir (to compete); -ivo means "having the nature of..."
atraerv.
to attract
“Los bancos no pueden atraer a los mejores profesionales.”— Banks cannot attract the best professionals.
“El tope es el 100% del salario fijo.”— The cap is 100% of the fixed salary.
Pattern salario fijo fixed salary
Compare sueldo m. salary
Plural: salarios
💡 From Latin salarium (salt ration); ancient Rome paid wages in salt
reformaf.
reform
“Bruselas va a preparar una gran reforma del sector bancario.”— Brussels is going to prepare a major reform of the banking sector.
Pattern reforma bancaria banking reform
Compare cambio m. change
Plural: reformas
💡 re- (again) + forma (form); reshaping again means reform
flexibilizarv.
to make more flexible, relax
“No sabemos si va a flexibilizarlos.”— We don't know if they are going to make them more flexible.
Pattern flexibilizar las normas to relax the rules
Compare suavizar v. to soften
Present: flexibilizo, flexibilizas...
💡 From flexible (flexible); -izar means "to make"
Grammar spotlight
poder + infinitive (to be able to do something)
A1
Poder (can, to be able to) is followed directly by an infinitive to express ability or possibility. The negative form no poder + infinitive means 'cannot / to be unable to'.
“Los bancos europeos no pueden atraer a los mejores profesionales.”— European banks cannot attract the best professionals.
⚠️ Don't forget to conjugate poder according to the subject, e.g. yo puedo, tú puedes.
Sentence patterns to steal
Quiere que los bonus de sus directivos no tengan límite.
It wants its executives' bonuses to have no limit.
querer que + subject + subjunctive verbReplace los bonus de sus directivos with other nouns, e.g. el horario (working hours).
Por eso, los directivos prefieren trabajar allí.
That's why executives prefer to work there.
Por eso, + subject + preferir + infinitiveReplace trabajar allí with other actions, e.g. vivir en otro país (to live in another country).
No sabemos si va a eliminar los límites o solo va a flexibilizarlos.
We don't know whether it will eliminate the limits or only relax them.
No saber si + verb + o + verbReplace eliminar los límites with other options, e.g. subir los impuestos (to raise taxes).
The Origins of EU Banking Bonus Limits
In 2013, the EU adopted the Capital Requirements Directive, which stipulates that variable remuneration for bank executives must not exceed 100% of fixed salary, with shareholders able to approve an increase to 200%. This rule aims to prevent executives from taking excessive risks in pursuit of bonuses. After Brexit, the UK removed similar restrictions, creating a pay gap between the City of London and EU banks.