Madrid rejects launching political negotiation in exchange for budget

The Spanish government will reject launching a political "negotiating entity" over Catalonia in order to get the necessary pro-independence support for Spain's 2019 budget.

María Jesús Montero, Spain's finance minister, rejected the idea that had been suggested by both large pro-independence parties, PDeCAT and ERC.

In the past few months they had insisted they would vote 'no' in accepting the Spanish budget for consideration in congress, unless Spain’s government "makes a move" towards self-determination and against the imprisonment of jailed leaders.

"Obviously we won't sit at any table to discuss issues outside the constitutional framework, or which are not part of any legislation," said Montero in an interview with Cadena Ser radio station.

Meeting on Thursday between governments' vice presidents

Yet on Thursday, the Catalan vice president, Pere Aragonès, and the cabinet spokesperson, Elsa Artadi, will meet with the Spanish government’s second-in-command, Carmen Calvo, to officially place the proposal.

"If [Spanish president Pedro] Sánchez has no will to find a political solution, the budget will not be accepted for consideration," said Artadi on Tuesday afternoon.