PDeCAT: aiming to recover policy-making leadership from before independence push

Partit Democrata Europeu Català - Espai CiU, or, in English, the Catalan European Democratic party, is looking to recover its lost status as a policy leader before the Catalan independence push. 

The group defends the same policies as the old Convergència party, the predecessors to both pro-independence Junts and PDeCat, and one of their main goals is for voters to have a more center-right Catalan force to vote for rather than just clearly left- or right-wing parties.

PDeCAT favors dialogue and agreements between both sides of the ideological divide and leaves behind the confrontation of the past, and despite some members being in favor of self-determination, the group does not consider independence their main priority.

One of their objectives is to recover the strategy of 'fer la puta i la Ramoneta,' a typical Catalan political expression referring to the idea of playing both sides and not just focusing on one bloc, but trying to obtain the best outcome by negotiating with several sides, even if they are their antagonists.

"It is much better to do 'la puta i la Ramoneta' [play both sides] as they used to say before, and my apologies for the wording, but it is a very popular saying," Roger Montañola, candidate for PDeCAT, said during a campaign event.

Talking to all parties is much better than "focusing on the independence push or on not doing politics. We are currently facing no politics, a void, it is all smoke and mirrors," he added.

Full control of Rodalies commuter train services

Some of PDeCAT's main proposals include fighting for the full transfer of control of the Rodalies commuter rail services from the Spanish government to Catalan authorities. They claim that the service would work better if it was managed by Catalonia and used the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat commuter train service as an example, the service controlled by the Catalan government.

The party also favors expanding the Barcelona airport, and building the Hard Rock hotel-casino complex in the southern cities of Salou and Vila-seca, just beside PortAventura amusement park. 

Regarding the negotiation table between the Catalan and Spanish governments, PDeCAT favors continuing these talks, but instead of focusing on independence, using it to discuss infrastructure, the economy, or Catalan schools, which they believe should continue with the Catalan immersion system and teach children religion. 

The Catalan language is important and one of the red lines that cannot be crossed to secure their support for a prime ministerial bid.

On the economic side, PDeCAT proposes that Catalonia have a new economic system in place where Catalan authorities would manage all the taxes paid in the territory.

In terms of immigration, they only back "legal, ordered, and controlled migration." 

The group is also against squat houses but believes in social housing.

Supporting who is best for Catalonia

PDeCAT could back the current PM, the Socialist Pedro Sánchez, or the conservative People's Party Alberto Núñez Feijóo, but one thing is clear, they have to provide what is best for Catalonia.

"Voting for a Spanish party in this election if you are a Catalan resident is useless," Montañola said.

"These parties do not think of Catalonia, its coexistence, economy, or well-being. But, at the same time, we must talk to people like adults and remind them that we go to congress to do politics," he added.

PDeCat currently has 4 MPs in congress, after running in a joint candidacy with pro-independence Junts in 2019. However, polls predict they will not have any after July 23.