Spanish government won't present budget bill for 2024 after Catalan snap election call

Spain's finance minister and first vice-president, María Jesús Montero, has announced that her executive is giving up on the idea of presenting a budget plan for 2024 as a result of the snap election being called in Catalonia.

As a result, the budgets for 2023 will be extended to this year, and the Spanish executive will instead focus on the spending plan for 2025.

"Without a doubt the snap election call in Catalonia clearly alters the political picture, and what is needed, after seeing the events and being realistic, is to work on the budgets for 2025" Montero explained.

"This is what is sensible," she added, speaking in an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena Ser.