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Catalan premier pledges to slash budget by 10 percent

Premier Arturo Mas asks parties for cooperation but blames central government

One day after Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero pledged not to allow any more regions fall into debt, the head of Catalonia's government announced that he will reduce the regional budget by 10 percent.

Speaking before the Catalan parliament, regional premier Arturo Mas announced the shoe-string measures ? but not before blaming the past tripartite administration as well as the Madrid central government for the region's economic woes.

"We should all paddle in the same direction," Mas said, asking for cooperation from all the parties.

A 10-percent cut would mean 4 billion euros to the current 40 billion-euro budget.

More information
Austerity battle threatens to become Catalan conflict
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