Ciudadanos to reject budget unless Spanish enforced as teaching language

MadridCiudadanos have had to get used to managing internal criticism of the rapprochement with the Spanish government, which has even led to numerous leaders' departure, not being able to stomach the party's support of the Socialist and Podemos coalition. The last crisis has come because of the perceived halfheartedness of the party's rejection of the new education law. This would see the end of the obligation of a number of classes being taught in Spanish in the regions where other languages are spoken. This Tuesday, however, Ciudadanos leader Inés Arrimadas has made it a casus belli, and unless the government takes it back, it will vote against the budget.

The amendment is not part of the accounts but of the new education law, but for Ciudadanos it is a line in the sand. There is still a second condition: that Pedro Sánchez commits in writing not to allow a referendum of self-determination in Catalonia, according to the Efe agency. If the joint support of Cs and ERC for the State budget already seemed incompatible, now it becomes impossible: "If he wants the separatist parties to be in the final picture", said Arrimadas, it will mean that the Spanish president has not fulfilled the demands of Ciudadanos "and will focus on the compensations that separatists are asking for".

The forcefulness of Arrimadas will not be transferred to the short term, since she has confirmed that on Thursday she will not support the seven amendments to the totality presented against the project of the Moncloa, among which are those of the PP, JxCat and the CUP. In other words, Cs is raising the price but will continue to negotiate the content of the budgets.