Polls suggest divided parliament hours before campaign kick-off

The electoral campaign starts this midnight amid political and judicial developments that make the results highly unpredictable

Marta Rovira, number 2 in the ERC ticket, flanked by two of the members of the pro-independence party (by ACN)
Marta Rovira, number 2 in the ERC ticket, flanked by two of the members of the pro-independence party (by ACN) / ACN

ACN | Barcelona

December 4, 2017 08:21 PM

The most atypical political campaign in Catalonia’s recent history is starting this midnight. The intensity of the political and judicial developments make the results highly unpredictable. Even the validity of the results isn’t clear. At least, according to some. 

The harshness of Spain to stop the independence roadmap, including the seizure of power in Catalonia, increase the mistrust. That’s why Esquerra’s president, Oriol Junqueras, from jail, asked the European Union to oversee the election results. His party secretary general supported him today.

The secretary general of ERC, Marta Rovira, said that they wil "ask for oversight from all those competent international organizations that act as permanent observers of electoral campaigns and electoral processes."

"We will ask them to check that the electoral process that begins this evening has all the necessary democratic guarantees," she added. 

While Esquerra aims to follow the road to independence after December 21, the Spanish government representative in Catalonia, Enric Millo, thinks completely different. He believes that the vote will bring Catalans closer to the Spanish Constitution.  

"We have recovered the Constitution in Catalonia, but we now have something more important to do: return the constitutional spirit to our society and our institutions," said Millo. 

Who is going to prevail after the election? The pro-independence are very likely to get more seats than the unionists, but will they get enough to keep the majority?

The latest poll, published today by the Spanish research institute, said that the Catalan state supporters would fall short of one or two seats. Still, they would get about seven seats more than the unionists. Inbetween, Catalunya en Comú rejects any of the blocs but might be decisive to tip the scales.

Esquerra and Ciutadans would tie for first position, but Puigdemont’s candidacy, Together for Catalonia, is gaining ground very fast. With Esquerra’s leader still in prison and Puigdemont able to campaign from Brussels, the two major parties for a Catalan state could share the pro-independence vote in an even more balanced way.

Another poll from a Spanish newspaper this weekend granted a majority for the pro-independence parties with a 48% of the vote.