Liberal CDC and Social-Democrat ERC would run together in pro-independence list with civil society members

Barcelona (ACN).- Catalonia's two main pro-independence parties, the Liberal CDC – which runs the Catalan Government – and the Social-Democrat ERC – which has been backing the Executive for the last 2 years – have finally reached an agreement about how to run in the next Catalan Parliament elections, scheduled for 27 September and called in order to become a 'de facto' referendum on independence from Spain. This is the only way left for Catalan citizens to hold a legal and free vote on the issue, after the Spanish Government has unilaterally blocked any discussion on the issue despite the clear democratic mandate of the last Catalan elections, held in November 2012, when an absolute majority of parties supporting the organisation of a legal self-determination referendum was elected. On Monday night, after months of discussions and public disagreements, the President of the Catalan Government and CDC leader, Artur Mas, and the leader of the ERC, Oriol Junqueras, finally reached an agreement to run together but in a unitary list to be formed by many independents and representatives from civil society. The agreement has not yet received final approval. This afternoon it will be presented to the rest of the pro-independence forces, hoping that many of them will join it. It will be then sent to the boards of the CDC and ERC for final approval.

The agreement between Mas and Junqueras comes after another pro-independence party, the alternative left CUP, proposed the creation of a unitary electoral list without professional politicians, formed only by civil society members and retired politicians. This formula not only excluded the political parties, but also active politicians such as the incumbent Catalan President, Artur Mas, and Oriol Junqueras, leader of the second-largest party in the Catalan Parliament.

On Monday afternoon, the main representatives from the CDC, ERC, CUP and two other pro-independence parties that have been recently created (the Social-Democrat MES and Christian-Democrat DC) met at the Catalan President's office, the Generalitat Palace, together with the main civil society organisations supporting independence to discuss running together in a unitary list.

The list with only civil society members was on the table and was backed by the CUP, the ERC and the 3 main civil society organisations. This proposal included the point that, in the event that the civil society list wins the elections, constituent elections would be organised a year after, with political parties running this time around.

Monday’s summit among the main pro-independence forces ended in the evening, when they all left the meeting except Mas and representatives from the CDC and ERC. The President of the grassroots Catalan National Assembly (ANC), Jordi Sánchez, present at the meeting, stated that the atmosphere was "absolutely constructive" and that he expected an agreement to be announced very soon.

In the end, the CDC and ERC fine-tuned the proposal of forming a unitary list with only civil society members. They agreed that the list would not be explicitly formed by political parties but that Mas and Junqueras would be included and therefore run in the next Catalan elections.

Their main argument was that politicians would have to manage the Government and Parliament, and negotiate with the Spanish institutions during the months after the 27 September elections if a pro-independence majority is the outcome. They also felt that if citizens do not overwhelmingly vote for pro-independence candidates, then professional politicians from pro-independence parties will have to sit in the Parliament, which otherwise would only include independents and pro-Spanish unity parties.