Catalan government pushes budget deal as ERC faces pressure

The Catalan government is working to close a series of political crises in order to prevent the Republican Left of Catalonia, known as ERC, from continuing to avoid a formal budget pact.

President Salvador Illa's administration has been actively managing outstanding political disputes, a strategy aimed at removing any pretext ERC might use to delay or sidestep a public commitment to the regional spending plan.

ERC's support is considered essential for the Socialist-led government in Barcelona to secure parliamentary backing for its budget. The party forms part of the broader pro-independence bloc whose cooperation Illa has relied upon to govern Catalonia.

The manoeuvre underscores the fragile nature of the arrangement underpinning the regional administration. By systematically neutralising flashpoint issues, the government hopes to corner ERC into a visible, photographable moment of agreement — making it politically costly for the party to walk away from the pact.