party

Party review – PSC, the Catalan Socialist Party risks losing being the central pivot of Catalan politics

November 25, 2010 10:25 PM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

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.

Party review – ERC, the Left-Wing Catalan Independence Party

November 24, 2010 11:16 PM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

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.

Party review – PPC, the Catalan branch of the Conservative and Spanish Nationalist People’s Party

November 23, 2010 11:45 PM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

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.

Party review – ICV-EUiA, a mix of Greens, Socialists and former Communists

November 22, 2010 10:19 PM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

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.

Catalan President will not form a new coalition with the opposition, nor with its current allies

October 26, 2010 12:50 AM | CNA / Gaspar Pericay Coll

The polls foresee a clear defeat for the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC), led by the current Catalan President José Montilla, in the coming elections. The polls suggest that the PSC would not be able to reform the current and ruling 3-party coalition and may not be able to form a government at all. This past weekend’s news announced that Montilla would not repeat the ruling 3-party coalition. Today he clarified that a transversal coalition with the main opposition party and the most likely winner of the election, the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Party (CiU), is also out of question.