BRUSSELS

The Catalan party Junts has withdrawn its external support for Spain's minority coalition government, which has been in power since November 2023, public broadcaster RTVE reported Monday.

Junts leader Carles Puigdemont announced that the party would move into opposition, citing the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party's (PSOE) failure to implement political agreements.

"The Spanish government will not be able to resort to the investiture majority. It will have neither the budget nor the capacity to govern," Puigdemont said during a press conference.

A consultation will take place from Wednesday at 10 am local time (0900GMT) until Thursday at 6 pm local time (1700GMT), with the results set to determine Junts' final stance.

Puigdemont emphasized that his party, which holds seven parliamentary seats, will not help any government that "does not help Catalonia."

Junts' grievances include the official recognition of the Catalan language in the European Union, the pending amnesty for Puigdemont, and the delegation of immigration powers to Catalonia, which was rejected in Congress.

The Catalan party's withdrawal of support casts doubt on the stability of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's minority government, as his administration relies on external parties like Junts to pass legislation and secure parliamentary backing.