ERC smooth pathway for Spain's 2023 budget 

The Spanish government is one step closer to delivering a 2023 budget after Esquerra Republicana, along with Basque parties, have announced they will not present a complete amendment motion to the spending plan. 

This announcement means that the 2023 budget bill will be able to continue on the parliamentary procedure, before eventually being finalized and voted on by lawmakers in the Spanish Congress. 

"I reach out to all parliamentary groups to move forward with this budget plan that I think is a good start but that we're open to improving, and we hope that it will be ultimately approved," Pedro Sánchez said today in Madrid.

ERC say they will "give room for negotiations" on the budget, but also warn that at the moment they are far from reaching a deal to ultimately pass the bill.

The decision, regardless, makes it easier for finance minister María Jesús Montero's bill to pass the first hurdle in Congress next Thursday.