campaign

"We will end this disgrace, we will not let this steamroller pass through whole country," dismissed vice-president's voice heard for first time since imprisonment

Campaign, day 8: While the unilateral path is still on the table for pro-independence bloc, returning Catalonia to its pre-155 condition is a priority    

As the election draws closer, main parties call for tactical vote to prevent other block from winning

The main Catalan parties present themselves as the safest option if voters want to prevent the opposite bloc from winning

Most parties had an opinion to voice over Sixena art, with independence and Article 155 also being major topics

All parties but two claim that Spain’s current Carta Magna, which turned 39 on Wednesday, is no longer working

First event of parties in the December 21 run-up show polarization between pro-independence and unionist blocs, with only one party outside fronts

Yes supporters gather thousands at Barcelona’s magic fountain, while opposition leading party holds an event to reject the ‘coup to democracy’

ANC, Òmnium, ERC, PDeCAT, CUP and Súmate among organizations presenting the push to choose independence on October 1

The main pro-independence civil society organisations in Catalonia, the Catalan National Assembly (ANC), Òmnium Cultural, the Association of Municipalities for Independence (AMI) and the Catalan Association of Municipalities (ACM) have called for mobilisation once again. Under the motto ‘Love Democracy’ the associations aim to show the citizens’ support for former Catalan President, Artur Mas, who faces trial next Monday for allowing the 9-N symbolic vote on independence in 2014, together with former Catalan Ministers Joana Ortega and Irene Rigau. So far, nearly 30,000 people have joined the initiative and are expected to fill Barcelona’s Lluís Companys Avenue, where Catalonia’s Supreme Court is located and where the summonsed will have to testify for alleged disobedience and perversion of justice. 

“Catalonia has always been a welcoming land”. This is the leitmotiv of the campaign launched today by 200 Catalan associations and NGOs and a hundred cultural companies and citizens. The initiative ‘Our home, your home’ seeks to promote the reception of refugees in Catalonia through a wide range of activities aimed at raising awareness among society. The movement arose from a group of Catalan volunteers who worked in the informal refugee camps in northern Greece, until the refugees were evicted and moved to premises under military control. “We felt ashamed of being accomplices to the policies of our Government and we promised we would do something to change their [the refugees] situation”, explained Ruben Wagensberg. Although Spain has to receive 10,500 refugees according to the scheme of distribution of the European Commission, it has only welcomed 516 to the date. The main goal of the initiative is to ensure that Catalan institutions act, ignoring the inaction from Spain, and start welcoming refugees. 

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has started his round of meetings with Spanish socialist party PSOE, Anti-Catalan nationalism ‘Ciutadans’, alternative left ‘Podemos’ and Spanish left IU, the main political forces running in the 20-D Spanish elections. The aim of these meetings was to set a common programme to deal with Catalonia’s push for independence, which is outstanding as the centre of the electoral campaign. “I take responsibility for leading the answer to this defiance”stated Rajoy and added that the Spanish State “has by far enough mechanisms to successfully face this situation”. Rajoy assured that during these meetings with the other political parties he asked his interlocutors to “trust”these mechanisms and avoid “unproductive debates”on such matters, referring to the possible application of article 155 of the Spanish Constitution, suggested by Ciutadans’leader Albert Rivera, which would imply the suspension of Catalonia’s autonomy. 

Not only parties have taken an active role in this intensive electoral campaign: the banking sector, Spanish diplomacy, the European institutions, international leaders, businesspeople associations and even the sports and scientific fields have had their say. Some have softened their warnings, some have signed joint letters, but all of them have reinforced the historic element of the upcoming 27-S elections. Whatever the situation may be, what is certain is that the moment is exceptional and that the elections are being closely watched internationally.

Anti-Catalan nationalism Ciutadans (C’s) is the youngest party with representation in the Catalan parliament. Founded in 2006, their support has increased dramatically in every election and most of the polls forecast that they will be the second force in the upcoming 27-S elections. Their position regarding Catalonia’s independence is open opposition and they call for reform of the Spanish Constitution. “I’ll do everything in my hands to avoid Catalonia’s independence” assured C’s candidate Inés Arrimadas at a press conference held this Tuesday at CNA headquarters. “We don’t want to think of the reactions to a hypothetical victory of pro-independence forces. We want to beat them, we want to win the Catalan elections” she stated. According to Arrimadas, Ciutadans is the only party which understands the real problems of the citizens “and independence is not a priority for them”. “We focus on the services, not on the institutions” she added.  

The Catalan Socialist Party (PSC), the Catalan branch of Spanish Socialist Party PSOE is against Catalonia’s independence. “I hope and I wish that pro-independence forces won’t get an absolute majority in the upcoming elections” stated Miquel Iceta, a consolidated member of PSC whom has been chosen to run for President in the upcoming 27-S elections. Iceta has come in for the previous candidate, Pere Navarro, whom got the worst result for PSC in any Catalan elections; only 20 seats from the 135 which compose the Catalan Parliament. PSC’s support in Catalonia has decreased dramatically since 2006 and the party has faced many crises and changes in its leadership, both in Catalonia and in Spain. Many parties have attributed this decline to the lack of independence of the PSC and have claimed that their policies are directed by their mother party PSOE.