Spain’s minority Socialist government plans to announce an early general election after its expected defeat in a budget vote on Wednesday following its refusal to negotiate Catalan self-determination, political sources said on Tuesday. Two small Catalan pro-independence parties, on whose votes the government has been relying to pass legislation, have so far maintained their blanket rejection of the budget. They said they were open to negotiate until the budget vote if the government promised them a dialogue on the right to self-determination, but that right is prohibited by the Spanish constitution.
Budget Minister Maria Jesus Montero told parliament the government would “not give in to blackmail” over the budget.
“If you want self-determination, I can tell you that there will be no budget,” she said, warning that Catalonia would lose what she called a good, generous budget for the region.
Full Article: Spanish PM to announce snap election soon after budget vote: sources | Reuters.
