Socialists eye presidency prize after 14 years in opposition

It is almost twenty years since the Catalan Parliament elected a Socialist as president (José Montilla in 2006), but on May 12, the Socialists' Party of Catalonia (PSC) has its eyes once again on the biggest prize in Catalan politics – a Socialist-led government with Salvador Illa at its head. 

A federalist, social democratic party, the Catalan Socialists are affiliated with their Spanish counterparts (PSOE), who have been in power in Madrid under the leadership of Pedro Sánchez since 2018.  

That time has been marked by a thawing of the intense political conflict between Spain and Catalonia, for which the electorate has rewarded the Socialists, giving them the most votes – in Catalonia at least – in the last Catalan, local and Spanish elections. 

'Strength to govern' 

Under their slogan 'Força per governar' or 'Strength to govern', the Socialists will now hope to go one step further and enter government in Barcelona's Palau de la Generalitat. 

That would see Catalonia led by a president in favor of Spanish unity for the first time since pro-independence Artur Mas took over from Socialist José Montilla in 2010. 

The Socialist's latest candidate for president is once again Salvador Illa, who was Spain's health minister during the pandemic.  

During the campaign he has emphasized the importance of dialogue in politics. 

"Those on the right say I'm pro-independence. The pro-independence parties say I'm a Spanish unionist. And I think we are where we ought to be. We are problem solvers," Illa said at one event on the campaign trail. 

"We don't block, we don't veto, we don't threaten. We propose, we resolve, we talk, and we will govern. Govern is the verb that Catalonia needs." 

Pro-Spanish unity, concessions to Catalonia 

The Socialists are in favor of Spanish unity and against Catalan independence, although while in government in Madrid they have made various concessions to the independence movement – including pardons for jailed leaders and an amnesty.   

The Socialists say this has been in the name of reconciliation, while their critics argue they have only moved on the issue when pro-independence votes were needed, for example to reelect Pedro Sánchez as Prime Minister last year.   

The party is pushing big infrastructure projects in Catalonia, like the expansion of Barcelona Airport, where they want to extend one of the runways in order to create a "real international hub."    

Their support for the Catalan budget last year was dependent on financing for the construction of the Hard Rock hotel-casino complex in southern Catalonia.   

They also want to complete the full transfer of the Rodalies commuter rail network from Spain to Catalonia, and invest in new highways, such as expanding the B-40 in the Barcelona metropolitan area.  

Their manifesto describes the current difficulties in accessing housing as "intolerable" and lays out plans to increase the amount of public housing in Catalonia by 4,000 homes per year. 

Illa has frequently referred to the last 10 years of pro-independence rule in Catalonia as "a lost decade." 

He says he wants to see a return of "an exemplary Catalan government, so that people look again to Catalonia to see our education policies, our health policies, how we solve transport issues, how we build housing, as it was not that many years ago - a government with excellent public policies."   

Post-election deals 

The Socialists are one of three parties – along with Esquerra Republicana (ERC) and Junts+ – with a realistic chance of gaining the presidency, and the only one of the three opposed to independence.  

The Socialists won the most votes in Catalonia's 2021 election and tied for most seats with ERC, 33 each, one ahead of Junts per Catalunya, but it was the two pro-independence parties who formed a coalition government (which Junts later left).    

The Socialists therefore have been the main opposition party during the last term, but supported the government on several key votes, including the failed 2024 budget that triggered the snap election. 

On May 12th, if the polls are correct, the Socialists seem certain to end up as the largest party again, winning around 40 seats, up from 33 last time.   

The question remains though whether they can garner enough support in Parliament to see Salvador Illa elected president.  

Their coalition partners in the Spanish government, Comuns Sumar, can be expected to give their backing, but that almost certainly will not be enough. 

The Socialists will most likely need to do a deal with one of the pro-independence parties, or look for support from right-wing unionist parties.