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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.

In 2008 and 2009, fairs in Catalonia generated 2,372 million euros and 30,000 workers, according to a study by the Universitat Pompeu Fabra. Despite the crisis, 2009 saw more fairs than 2008, and 441 are already planned for 2011.

Laia Fàbregas, a Barcelona born writer, says: “Barcelona is much more than that. There are a lot of tourists and different types of people that enjoy living here”.

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.

FC Barcelona ensured that they progressed to the next round of the Champions League as group winners after a convincing victory against Panathinaikos on Wednesday thanks to two goals from Pedro and another from Lionel Messi.

The company will partner with Spanair to offer direct flights to Sao Paulo starting in 2011. Singapore Airlines hopes to offer more direct flights from Barcelona to other South American capitals in the near future, announce its Executive Vice President of the airline.

Lluís Gavaldà, lead singer of Els Pets answers Lucy from Glasgow: “Catalonia has very extensive musical richness, with traditional, classic, jazz and pop music in Catalan”.

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.

A study conducted by professors at the University of Lleida shows that immigrants spend less money on medication than natives. It also shows that inhabitants of rural areas spend more money on medication than those of urban areas.

Josep Guardiola has said that the team is entirely focused on the Champions League game with Panathinaikos, and has promised that he won’t be conditioning his selection by the forthcoming Madrid match.

‘Tideline’ opened today at the Municipal Theatre of Girona as part of the Autumn Festival of Catalonia ‘Temporada Alta’. The opera chronicles a young man’s search for identity as he travels back to his village to bury his deceased father.

Every kilo of truffles will cost the consumer around 400 euros. There are 350 hectares in Catalonia where one can find this delicacy

Sergi Belbel, artistic director of the National Theatre of Catalonia (TNC): “To understand Catalans, the first thing is to understand the concepts of ‘seny’ and ‘rauxa’”.