Socialists win most votes in local elections across Catalonia

The Socialist party won the 2023 local elections across Catalonia in terms of number of votes, getting 710,569 ballots with 99.49% of votes counted. However, it was the third party in the number of representatives elected.

Meanwhile, pro-independence Esquerra Republicana won in the number of seats as it got 2,871 representatives, more than Junts' 2,674, and in number of municipalities, 315, to Junts' 301.

On the other hand, Junts was the most voted pro-independence party.

The far-left pro-independence party CUP failed to win representation in the Barcelona council for a second consecutive local election.
On the other hand, the party won in Berga for the third time and came second in Girona. The party won 133,403 votes across all of Catalonia, accounting for 4.43% of the total. Compared with the 2019 election, CUP lost 21 seats getting an overall of 313.

 

Overall, 55.54% of the population voted, below 2019's 64.81%.

Barcelona

In Barcelona, Trias per Barcelona came first in the number of votes, with just a few hundred votes separating the Socialists and anti-austerity Barcelona en Comú in second and third.

For the first time in history, Barcelona also saw the far-right Vox party entering the city plenary.

Girona

In Girona, north of Barcelona, Junts fell to third. The Socialists won 8 seats under the leadership of Sílvia Paneque. tied with the second party the left-wing pro-independence, Guanyem Girona.

Tarragona

In Tarragona, in southern Catalonia, the Socialists also won with 9 representatives, surpassing ERC with 6. Just below, the conservative People's Party won 4 and far-right Vox won 3.

Lleida

In western Catalonia, Lleida, also saw the Socialists winning with 9 representatives, just followed by the People's Party with 5 seats. PP tied in the number of seats with pro-independence ERC and Junts.

Meanwhile, Vox got 2 representatives and 1 for anti-austerity Comú.

PSC keep second largest city in Catalonia

In L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, the second most populated city in Catalonia with over 260,000 inhabitants, the Socialists won again the most votes and local councilors, but fell short of the absolute majority they got in the previous election.

With 13 local councilors, incumbent mayor Nuria Marín will surely stay in power thanks to a huge victory margin over opposition forces, with ERC and PP winning four councilors each, followed by VOX and En Comú Podem, with three each.

Terrassa mayor confirms re-election

Jordi Ballart, mayor of Terrassa, will stay in power in the third most populated city in Catalonia after winning 11 council seats in the local election.

A former member of the Socialists, Ballart quit the party in 2017 to form his own group, Tot per Terrassa, which went on to win the 2019 election, putting an end to decades of Socialist rule in the city. 

The Socialist party kept its 7 seats in the Terrassa city council, and far-right VOX came in third position, entering the local council for the first time with third councilors. ERC, Junts, and PP won two seats each.

Pro-independence Manresa

In the inland city of Manresa, the pro-independence groups won, with ERC getting 7 councilors, followed by Junts' 6. United, both parties get the absolute majority of 11 seats needed.

The Socialists were the third group surpassing Fem Manresa.

Mayors win 12th terms

Fogars de la Selva and Torroella de Fluvià did not come as a surprise during the local elections night as both municipalities voted for the same mayor they have been voting for since the first elections after the return to democracy, in 1979.

Josep Vilà, an independent, and Pere Moradell of the Socialists, ran again in search of their 12th term in office each, and both achieved their plan. They are the only two mayors in Catalonia who have held the post ever since the very first elections after the Franco dictatorship. 

If they stay in office for the next four years, they would have served for a total of 48 years.