<span style="color: #222222;">Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday called for an early general election for 28 April. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The announcement came after Catalan nationalist MPs rejected Mr Sánchez's budget bill after the government refused to discuss the region's right to self-determination. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Divisions were highlighted on Tuesday, when 12 Catalan separatist leaders and activists went on trial accused of rebellion and sedition over their unrecognised independence referendum in 2017.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Mr Sánchez said that the right-wing parties – the Popular Party and Ciudadanos – had blocked numerous bills in parliament, including important measures to reduce inequality.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">BBC reports that it is just eight months since Mr Sánchez took office, heading a minority government reliant on Catalan support. Opinion polls suggest that no single party would win a clear majority. But conservatives and the far-right Vox party are expected to do well.</span><br />''