Spain agrees to start Catalan talks earlier

MADRID: Spain’s Government said on Thursday it would begin talks on resolving the Catalan political conflict before elections were held in the region, reversing an earlier decision to postpone talks till after the polls.

The talks were a precondition for leftwing separatist party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) to facilitate Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s recent investiture.

His decision to delay the negotiations drew sharp criticism from Catalan politicians, including a top ERC official who called it an ‘‘absolute irresponsibility’’.

Catalonia has been a dominant theme in Spanish politics since the region unilaterally declared independence in October 2017 after a referendum deemed illegal by courts, prompting Spain’s biggest political crisis in decades.

ERC’s support is crucial for the Government’s budget proposal to be approved by the Spanish parliament, and the party has previously said its support for the Bill would depend on the evolution of the negotiations.

‘‘We asked for the agreement to be fulfilled and it will be done,’’ an ERC source with knowledge of the situation said, adding Sanchez had met ERC spokesman Gabriel Rufian on Thursday.

In a statement, the Spanish Government said it wanted to reaffirm its commitment to the talks even though the current conditions were not ideal to begin negotiating.

‘‘Throughout the day we have heard our willingness to talk and our commitment to the agreements be called into question,’’ the Government said.

The reversal came a day after the proindependence head of Catalonia’s regional government Quim Torra said he planned to call a snap local election, pending the approval of the region’s Budget. The ballot is expected to be in late May at the earliest.

Torra’s Junts per Catalunya party and ERC, partners in the region’s ruling coalition, have been at odds lately.

The Catalan government said Torra would seek to prepare for such talks at a meeting with Sanchez set for February 6. The two would discuss the right of selfdetermination and an amnesty for the jailed and selfexiled Catalan separatist leaders.

‘‘We are convinced that Prime Minister Sanchez will not close any door to dialogue in that meeting, nor exclude any topic,’’ it said.