In addition, the so-called "sustainability factor", which was due to enter into force in 2019, would be postponed until 2023. A number of other measures have also been agreed, including an increase to 56 per cent in the regulatory base for widows ' pensions and an increase to 60 per cent in the following year.

In return, Aitor Esteban, spokesman of the PNV in the Spanish Congress, explains that his group will vote against all the plenary amendments to Rajoy’s budget.

Last Friday, the EAJ took the step that indicated that today’s decision could come: After announcing that it would not make a full amendment to the Spanish government’s budget, the entire press was waiting for the next jeltzale movement.

The announcement on Wednesday paves the way for the PP to move forward with the budgets it wants to put into effect in the Spanish State.

The plenary amendments to the accounts presented by Rajoy’s executive will be voted in Congress on Thursday. There are six in total, and with EAJ Rajoy the numbers come out: It would have the support of 175 representatives to reject the amendments of the whole –of the PP, Ciudadanos, UPN, Coalición Canaria, Foro Asturias and PNV– against the other 175 opposition forces –PSOE, Unidos Podemos, ERC, PDeCAT, Compromis and EH Reunidos. If there were a tie in three votes, the PP’s budget could go forward.

The situation in Catalonia seems to be the last piece left in the full understanding between the PNV and the PP, but once this Thursday’s process is over, the budgets will be kept alive from May 22. This deadline is the red line for the election of the president in Catalonia. With this investiture, Article 155 would be removed and the PNV would be able to maintain what it said about budgetary protection – that it would not support Rajoy as long as Article 155 was in force in Catalonia.

Esteban points out that the approach has been approved after the meeting on Tuesday between Mariano Rajoy and Andoni Ortuzar.