‘No’ to supporting Sánchez’s budget

Whether Pedro Sánchez’s budget passes is up to the ERC and PDeCAT parties in Madrid, but Carles Puigdemont and Quim Torra will “side with the parliamentary groups that have publicly stated they will vote against,” in the words of the exile. The 130th and 131st Catalan presidents met yesterday in the House of the Republic in Waterloo, Belgium, to analyse the new political term, show support for the political prisoners, and insist on not supporting the Socialist government’s budget, “as the ERC and PDeCAT parliamentary groups have reiterated,” said Torra.

Both leaders share doubts about the budget promises made by the Spanish government, given its track record of failing to honour such pledges in the past, yet they continue to demand a gesture from La Moncloa regarding the prisoners and a political proposal allowing Catalans to exercise their right to self-determination.

Millions of extra euros, improvement plans for the rail system, spending… “There are no lack of budget promises, what is missing is their execution,” said Puigdemont, who backs his PDeCAT party’s refusal to support the budget, although he also said it would depend on how the pro-independence parties in Madrid decide to act. On December 20, PDeCAT passed a resolution saying it would “vote against the state budget in the Spanish chambers in which the Democrat Party has a presence as long as there are prisoners and exiles.” Yesterday, ERC also called for a gesture by Sánchez if he wanted its support.

It is possible that Puigdemont will return to the issue of the budget on Monday, when the PDeCAT leadership will visit him in Waterloo, although with the Crida Nacional per la República movement, the upcoming municipal and European elections, and the trial of the independence leaders, the agenda will be packed.