Catalonia's parties in govt to reject 2019 budget draft

Spain's Budget Minister Maria Jesus Montero on Tuesday said the Socialist government would "not give in to blackmail" over the 2019 budget, adding that self-determination for Catalonia was not on the agenda.

Catalonia's pro-independence parties are key for the minority government to get its budget to pass a preliminary vote on Wednesday but have said they have a blanket objection to the draft budget and would reject it. The small regional parties have called for, amongst other things, the right to self-determination, prohibited by the Spanish constitution, in exchange for their support.