politics

The Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition, ‘Convergència i Unió’ (CiU) wins. The Centre-Right forces get a clear majority in the Catalan Parliament. The governing Left-Wing parties collapse. The Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) gets the worst results in history, which could be fatal for Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero future’s re-election. The speech on immigration control, the economic crisis and Spanish identity gives the Catalan People’s Party (PPC) their best results ever in Catalonia. Catalan Nationalist forces globally increase their absolute majority, despite the collapse of the Left-Wing Catalan Independence Party (ERC). A new populist independence party ‘Solidaritat per la Independència’ (SI), former FC Barcelona’s President Joan Laporta’s party, enters into the Parliament. The Anti-Catalan Nationalist Party ‘Ciudadanos’ (C’s) maintains its 3 seats. The Catalan Green Socialist Party (ICV-EUiA) loses 2 seats.

Exit polls predict that Artur Mas, CiU’s leader, will very likely be able to govern alone, with between 63-66 seats. The Catalan Socialist Party may collapse, losing more than 10 seats and getting between 24 and 27 seats. The parties in the 3-party governing coalition are losing a lot of support. The Catalan People’s Party (PPC) may become the 3rd force, with 15-17 seats. The Left-Wing Catalan Independence Party (ERC) may drop to between 11-13 seats. The Catalan Green Socialist Party (ICV-EUiA) may loose some support and get between 8 and 10 seats. The former FC Barcelona’s President Joan Laporta’s party (SI) could enter into the Parliament with 3-4 seats. The Anti-Catalan Nationalism Party (C’s) may get the same results with around 3 seats. The Right-Wing Catalan Independence Party, Reagrupament (Rgt), could be at the limit of entering into the Parliament with 1 seat.

The 7 years of the Left-Wing 3-party coalition may end on Sunday and CiU may once again rule the Catalan Government. Spain is looking carefully at these elections: the Socialists may collapse, the People’s Party may win seats thanks to its anti-immigration speech, and if CiU wins, they could help Zapatero to pass economic reforms. Europe should look at these elections: the future of the Euro is in Zapatero’s hands, but Zapatero may be in CiU’s. The campaign finished at midnight on Friday. Saturday is the “reflexion day”, when campaigning is forbidden. Sunday the 28th of November is Election Day. The parties’ candidates with Parliamentary representation presented their projects to CNA for a foreign audience.

Convergència i Unió (CiU) will very likely win the elections and rule the Catalan Government. It is already the first party in the Catalan Parliament, with 48 seats (out of 135), and polls predict it could get a result just below the absolute majority, with a range from 59 to 65 seats. CiU is a coalition of 2 parties: a Liberal and a Christian-Democratic. In the last years, CiU has openly defended Catalonia’s right to self-determination and, in this campaign, CiU’s main proposal is to negotiate a special economic agreement for fiscal redistribution with the Spanish Government, in line with the Basque Country’s.

CNA interviews five Catalans living overseas about how they feel about the Catalan elections and what they have done to get their ballot papers in on time

With polls predicting a considerable loss of seats and a large increase of support for the opposition party, the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) will very likely lose the Catalan presidency. In addition, the next municipal and Spanish elections also seem complicated for the Socialists, who currently lead the 3 levels of government (local, Catalan and Spanish). Their 3 main problems include: governing with a hand tied behind their back due to electoral agreements, a crisis of leadership and ruling all administrations in times of crisis.

The ERC is going through an inflexion. It was part of the Left-Wing 3-party coalition that ruled the Catalan Government for the last 7 years. After the trimming of the Catalan Statute of Autonomy by the Spanish Constitutional Court, the ERC is now pushing for an independence referendum for the next term. In these elections, they risk losing many seats according to the polls, possibly going back to their 1990s figures and losing their status as the 3rd Catalan party. In addition they are running with a new leader, Joan Puigcercós.

Alícia Sánchez-Camacho leads the Catalan People’s Party (PPC) and is running as its candidate for the Catalan presidency for the first time. Catalonia is where the People’s Party is weaker in Spain. The PPC is the 4th party in the Catalan Parliament. Sánchez-Camacho is putting the economic crisis and immigration at the forefront of her campaign, together with the defence of the Spanish language and the aim to stop Catalan separatists.

The only one? Not anymore. Last night, the televised debate among the leaders of the 6 parties with parliamentary representation ended in a compromise for a second debate tomorrow, this time only between the 2 main leaders: Artur Mas from the CiU and the most likely new president, and the incumbent, José Montilla from PSC, who will likely be defeated according to the polls.

Iniciativa per Catalunya Verds – Esquerra Unida i Alternativa (ICV-EUiA) is a coalition of several political forces, which has 2 main pillars. The main one is the ICV, which is an Eco-Socialist party, and strongly Catalanist. The second one is EUiA, which is a coalition of small pro-Communist parties, linked to the Spanish Izquierda Unida. ICV-EUiA has been in the 3-party governing coalition for the last 7 years. Its current leader is Joan Herrera.

Artur Mas, José Montilla, Joan Puigcercós, the PPC, ICV-EUiA, CiU, Ciutadans, the Catalan Parliament, the Catalan Government… What is all this? Those not familiar with the Catalan political ecosystem maybe become easily lost. Here you will find some keys to better understand what’s going on these days.

In the last months, the Catalan branch of the Conservative People’s Party (PPC) raised controversy in breaking a taboo in Catalan-level politics: using immigration as a political tool. Many actions were performed earlier linking immigration with insecurity. such as spreading leaflets. Yesterday a videogame where the PPC's leader was shooting at illegal immigrants was put online and, after the complains, shut down. Last week, the PPC’s President and candidate, Alícia Sánchez-Camacho proposed an “integration contract” for immigrants that, if not respected, will enable public powers to expel immigrants. The rest of the parties accused the PPC of being xenophobic and populist.

Finally, the official campaign began. Thursday at 23.59 all the parties were at the departure line. All polls point at a political change and the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition Convergència i Unió (CiU) will probably take power. The Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) tries to avoid what the polls indicate as its worst result. The other parties fight to keep or get the third party status or their number of seats.

On Sunday the 28th of November, Catalans will elect their new Parliament, which will then elect the new Catalan Government for the next 4-year term. These elections are very likely to change the Catalan political landscape, becoming a barometer of support for the Socialist party in Catalonia. The elections may have consequences for all of Spain. All the polls point to the main opposition force, the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition Convergència i Unió (CiU), as just below the absolute majority.

The Pope decided to politicise his visit to Spain. He made a brief speech on the plane after leaving Rome in which he attacked what he called “the aggressive secularism” in Spain nowadays, which reminded him of the situation in the 1930s. It is an attack against Prime Minister Zapatero’s policies and an answer to the individuals and associations protesting against the Pope’s visit. Benedict XVI also criticised Spanish government’s laws during the religious ceremonies.