20-D Spanish Elections: Catalan parties react

Barcelona (CNA).- “Those who have been repeatedly ignored and who don’t have the support of any factional power have won the elections in Catalonia” stated Barcelona’s mayor Ada Colau, referring to the ‘En Comú’ candidates, which are part of the winning alternative left coalition En Comú Podem. Current Catalan President Artur Mas congratulated the winning list in Catalonia in the Spanish Elections and emphasised the coalition’s commitment to Catalonia’s right to decide. “We take Podemos at their word and ask them not to take a single step backwards” he stated. Mas admitted that Democràcia i Llibertat, the coalition which includes his party, liberal CDC, didn’t obtain the expected results. “We have been mercilessly attacked by Spanish State’s powers” he said. Left wing pro-independence ERC’s candidate for Barcelona, Gabriel Rufián, noted that his party “obtained its best result ever” in the Spanish Elections “we have tripled the result of 2011” he emphasised. “We have made history” stated anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans leader, Albert Rivera, “but we need a reform of the electoral law” he stated. 

En Comú Podem

“They told us that we couldn’t get representation beyond the Barcelona region, but we did” stated En Comú Podem’s candidate for Barcelona, Xavier Domènech. “Yes, we can” he shouted, reproducing Podemos’ most famous slogan. En Comú Podem gathers together members from Catalan Green-Socialist party ICV, alternative left-wing Podem, which is the Catalan branch of the Spanish party Podemos, and representatives from the 'En Comú' candidacies, which won significant mayoralties in the last local elections, for example that of Barcelona, with social activist and now Barcelona mayor Ada Colau as its strongest asset. Indeed, Colau addressed the voters and expressed her gratitude. “Those who have been repeatedly ignored and who don’t have the support of any factional power have won the elections in Catalonia” she stated “I’m proud of this candidacy, proud of this candidate. I feel pride”.

ERC

“We have obtained our best result ever in the Spanish Elections” assured ERC’s candidate for Barcelona and Catalan National Assembly member, Gabriel Rufián. “We have tripled our result of 2011” he emphasised. Rufián also congratulated “the colleagues” of En Comú Podem and insisted that ERC will “wait for them” to join their “pro-independence fight”.

Democràcia i Llibertat

Liberal CDC, the party currently leading the Catalan Government, ran for the Spanish Elections under another name, ‘Democràcia i Llibertat’ (Democracy and Freedom). They obtained 8 MPs, which is half of what CDC obtained in the last Spanish elections, when they ran in coalition with Christian Democrat Unió. “We thank all the people who voted for us” stated Mas “because they have done so in a very hostile context” he added.“Now there will be 17 MPs defending Catalonia’s sovereignty in the Spanish Parliament” noted Democràcia i Llibertat’s candidate for Barcelona, Francesc Homs, referring to the sum of the seats obtained by Democràcia i Llibertat and ERC. “We have been mercilessly attacked by the Spanish State’s powers” pointed out Mas “but the concept of right to decide is now on the Spanish political agenda” he noted, referring to Podemos’ commitment to the celebration of a binding referendum in Catalonia. “We take Podemos at their word and ask them not to take a single step backwards” he concluded.

PSC

The Spanish Socialist Party, PSOE, was the second force in the Spanish Elections. However, they lost influence in Catalonia, coming in fourth position. “We have more votes now than in the 27-S Catalan elections” stated the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) candidate for Barcelona, Carme Chacón. “We have representatives in every region in Catalonia” she noted and expressed PSC’s commitment “to defending Catalans’ interests”.

Ciutadans

“We have made history” assured anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans leader and candidate for Spanish Prime Minister, Albert Rivera. However, many polls forecast a greater result for this Catalan party, which was running in the Spanish Elections for the first time. They in the end obtained 40 MPs, with 5 of these coming in Catalonia. Both Rivera and Ciutadans’ candidate for Barcelona, Juan Carlos Girauta, pointed to the current electoral law as the reason for this result and said they were committed to reforming it.

PPC

Although the PP was the leading force in Spain, it came sixth in Catalonia. “We want to continue having a responsible government which doesn’t put the national sovereignty at risk” stated the Catalan People’s Party (PPC)’s number three Alicia Sánchez Camacho. “We got the expected results in Catalonia” she concluded.

Christian Democrat Unió

“The elections haven’t gone well for us” admitted Unió’s candidate for Barcelona Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida. After a 37-year alliance, the smaller party within former governing coalition CiU,ran for the Spanish Elections a separate party and it won’t have representation in the Spanish Parliament. Duran i Lleida will abandon its seat in the chamber after more than 30 years.