The newly-minted Spanish gov't is likely to...>

SPAIN: The newly-minted Spanish gov't is likely to face the 1st major threat to

its stability in the coming months after Catalan regional president Quim Torra

announced that once the region's budget is passed he will call snap election.

- Announcement comes on back of Catalan parliament's refusal to allow Torra to

retain his seat following the Supreme Court and Central Electoral Board

stripping him of credentials due to role in illegal 2017 referendum in 2017. 

- Torra hails from the centre-right separatist 'Together for Catalonia' (JxCat)

party, which voted against the investiture of Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez earlier

this month. However, JxCat works in coalition with the leftist Republican Left

of Catalonia (ERC) in the regional administration. The ERC abstained in the

investiture vote, paving the way for Sanchez's confirmation. 

- Opinion polling indicates, though, that Torra's move could backfire. His party

is recording support below that achieved in the previous election in 2017, while

the ERC and Sanchez's Socialists are both polling better than in 2017. 

- Nevertheless, strong result for pro-independence parties risks unrest at

national level for Sanchez's gov't.