Catalan president rejects Spanish budget yet again over independence referendum refusal

Catalan president Quim Torra has restated that pro-independence parties will not back the Spanish government’s budget for 2019, arguing that Madrid made "no movement" to meet their demands and accept a self-determination referendum.

"As far as allowing Catalonia to exercise its right to self-determination, we haven’t seen [Spanish president Pedro Sánchez] advance even one millimeter," said Torra in an interview with the Associated Press (AP).

The general budget will most certainly fall short of the supports needed to be approved in the Spanish Congress should pro-independence parties reject the bill, thus dealing a hard blow to the central government.

Sánchez and his Socialist party came to power last spring after ousting the conservatives from power in a no-confidence vote backed by pro-independence parties.