The president of Catalan pro-independence party PDeCAT, David Bonvehí, has reiterated that his parliamentary group won't vote in favour of Spain's annual budget, but he says that they would be "open to approving an increase in the legal minimum wage if it were proposed as a vote separate from the budget". A minimum wage rise is currently included as part of the budget proposal.
Bonvehí made the comment while speaking to the media at an event near Barcelona this Sunday. With regard to a possible rise in the minimum wage he added: "If it improves the lives of Catalans we are open to passing it".
The PDeCAT leader once again stressed that Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez has not yet proposed any political solution to the Catalan conflict, and he concluded: "Our conditions haven't changed. We are still in the same place as before, and there is no other option for us except to say 'no' to the budget".
Without the votes of the two Catalan pro-independence parties represented in Spain's congress, PDeCAT (Catalan European Democrats) and ERC (Catalan Republican Left), the approval of the Spanish government's budget seems impossible. Due to the lack of any progress on the issues of a negotiated independence referendum, the release of the Catalan political prisoners and the return of those in exile, the two parties have repeatedly said they will not vote for the budget.