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Spain's Acting Deputy PM Yolanda Diaz is in the Belgian capital Brussels for talks with exiled former Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont. Talks come as acting PM Pedro Sanchez's left-leaning alliance of parties attempt to garner the support of Puigdemont's pro-independence Junts per Catalunya party in any investiture vote in parliament.

• The meeting does not come in any official capacity, with Sanchez's centre-left Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) stating that Diaz was talking to Puigdemont in her capacity as head of the far-left Sumar party. A statement from Sumar said the meeting was "another step in our firm bid to open a new era of solutions based on dialogue and democracy". Nevertheless, in-person talks add credence to speculation that a deal might be possible between Sanchez's bloc and Junts.
• With widespread expectations that centre-right Popular Party (PP) leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo will fail in both investiture votes on 27 and 29 September, Sanchez has a window of under two months to secure the backing of Junts in order to succeed in his own investiture vote (which must be successful within 41 days of Feijoo's vote to avoid a snap election).
• Even if an agreement can be reached that sees Sanchez retain the PM's office, it does not mean an end to uncertainty in Spanish politics. The gov't would be vulnerable to no-confidence votes should they not follow through on any eventual promises regarding self-determination referendums or amnesties for those involved in the illegal 2017 Catalan independence referendum.