The EAJ (Basque Nationalist Party) has promised to not help pass a Spanish budget until central government intervention in Catalonia via article 155 of the Constitution is ended. Prime minister Mariano Rajoy would likely need their votes to pass any plan in the Spanish Congress. The commitment was announced by JxCat's spokesperson, Eduard Pujol, after meeting the Basque party's president, Antoni Ortuzar. A delegation of the Catalan party had travelled to Bilbao this Sunday to take part in events for Aberri Eguna, the Basque "Fatherland Day". "With [article] 155 [still in force], we're passing" on supporting a budget, warned Ortuzar.
"We've been talking with EAJ about maintaining their commitment to not finalise negotiations on the budget until 155 has been finished", said Pujol in a press conference following the meeting. "The EAJ is aware of the power it has to check this state of brutality and attack on fundamental rights. Today it's we Catalans, but tomorrow it will be any cause," he added.
Ortuzar made similar comments during his speech for Aberri Eguna, joking about the support for the Spanish government's budget from Ciudadanos (whose party colour is orange). "Here we our, maintaining our vigil despite the orange alerts, which won't make us change our position," he said. "Our position is clear and is a question of principles: with 155, we're passing".
"The mere existence of 155 and the application being made of it in Catalonia are an attack on the Basque Country too and our idea of self-government", he said. "We want Catalan and Basque self-government to be exclusively in the hands of their legitimate representatives. We don't want people in prison for defending political ideas."