MADRID (Reuters) - Catalan separatist party Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC) would help the Spanish government attain a stable majority in parliament and support its budget only if the region's independence drive is addressed in talks, a top party official told Reuters.
The leftist ERC was instrumental in facilitating Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez's confirmation as prime minister last month. Its votes will be crucial for the approval or rejection of the left-wing coalition government's budget plan, potentially defining the government's survival in a fragmented parliament.
