No majority in Catalunya's elections, but pro-independence coalition wins the most seats
Monday, September 28, 2015 @ 6:03 PM
MIXED results of the regional elections in Catalunya mean the pro-independence brigade is in a stronger position than ever, but no single party has won an outright majority.
Current regional leader Artur Mas, head of Convergence and Democracy for Catalunya (CDC) and Oriol Junqueras of Catalunya Left Republicans (ERC), whose strategy involved bringing together all bar one of the parties who were in favour of secession under the heading of Junts pel Sí ('together for the 'yes' vote') has in some ways succeeded – of the 68 seats needed for a complete majority, they have gained 62, with 47.86% of the votes – but in others failed, since they won 70 seats at the 2012 regional elections, meaning a loss of eight.
The remaining pro-secession party, CUP (Candidature for Unity of the People) which decided to go it alone won 10 seats, compared to just three in 2012, meaning in theory, if it hooked up with Junts pel Sí in coalition, those in favour of unilaterally declaring independence would have a full majority with 72 seats.
But CUP leader Antonio Baños has already said his party would not back Mas as regional president in the in-house elections which will take place between now and early November.
Without either a minimum of 68 seats or a coalition agreement with CUP, Junts pel Sí's strategy for Catalunya's secession from Spain cannot get off the ground.
Ciudadanos, the centre-right independent party which burst onto the national scene this year in time for the local and regional elections and intends to run for national government in December, has been present in Catalunya for nine years and is now the second-strongest party in the region's Parliament – an opposition with 25 of the total of 135 seats.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com