Spain to Proceed With Catalan Talks Under Separatist Pressure
Catalan President Joaquim Torra on Wednesday announced plans to hold elections once the regional parliament passes its budget.
(Bloomberg) -- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez committed to go ahead will a negotiation process in Catalonia as planned after coming under pressure from the separatist party that helped smooth his path to form a government.
The Spanish government said Thursday it would put back planned talks with Catalan institutions until after forthcoming regional elections in Catalonia have taken place. The decision immediately came under attack from the pro-independence party Esquerra Republicana, which accused Sanchez of irresponsibly postponing talks that he had agreed to as a condition for its support for his successful bid to win parliamentary approval for his new administration this month.
Later Thursday, the government said the talks would go ahead as originally planned to avoid any doubt about its commitment to dialogue.
Catalan President Joaquim Torra on Wednesday announced plans to hold elections once the regional parliament passes its budget. That process could take several months while starting the talks is an urgent priority, Sergi Sabria, the head of Esquerra’s group in the Catalan parliament, said Twitter.
The talks were a key component of the accord sealed with Sanchez by which Esquerra deputies in the national parliament agreed to abstain in a vote this month that smoothed the way for Sanchez to serve a new term as prime minister.
To contact the reporter on this story: Charles Penty in Madrid at cpenty@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net, Robert Jameson
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