Possible elections in Spain as parliament rejects Budget Updated

Spain’s parliament on Wednesday rejected the government’s 2019 budget proposal in Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s first major legislative defeat.

Citing government and socialist party sources on Tuesday, Reuters reported that the socialist government had plans to announce an early general election if its budget was defeated.

The sources said no date had been set for a snap-election, but that April 14 was most likely, followed by April 28. The same was reported by Spanish news agency EFE.

The government expected defeat in the budget vote following its refusal to negotiate Catalan self-determination, political sources said on Tuesday.

Two small Catalan pro-independence parties, on whose votes the government has been relying to pass legislation, have indicated earlier their blanket rejection of the budget.

They said they were open to negotiate until the budget vote if the government promised them a dialogue on the right to self-determination, but that right is prohibited by the Spanish constitution.

This is a developing story