ciutadans

With the round of talks with party leaders at an end, Carles Puigdemont is the only candidate on the table

Organization started as mockery on social networks and claims that the part of Catalonia in which unionism is majority should secede

While Puigdemont says vetoing him taking office remotely would be a “democratic fraud,” Ciutadans brands this possible move as a “joke”

Albert Rivera wants the presidency of the Catalan parliament for his party but acknowledges that unionists parties cannot form a government

Proposal to swear new president into office from exile in Brussels ruled out by opposition parties

Candidates have taken part in many electoral events and made some statements that they wish they hadn't

With only 5 days to go until December 21, claws are out as parties try to convince voters that they are the right choice

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

Major parties running in December 21 election hold events just days before campaign officially kicks off

Main candidate for Ciutadans in December 21 elections says she would forego top job if her party fails to get most unionist votes  

Candidacies in favor of a Catalan state would add up 46.7% votes and unionists 42.4%, with a record-breaking turnout

The demonstrators support Spanish unity and include representation from various political parties

Inés Arrimadas, leader of Ciutadans, the main opposition party in the Catalan Parliament, considers the plan of the governing pro-independence coalition Junts pel Sí (Together for Yes) and the radical left CUP (Popular Unity Candidacy) to declare independence “in one day and without a debate” as an insult to Catalans. In an interview with the CNA she insisted that “everyone knows” the independence vote “is not going to take place”. According to Arrimadas, the leaders of the pro-independence groups are waiting to see who ends up being “the black sheep” and what the excuse will be when the referendum fails to be carried out. Therefore she considers the independence process in Catalonia “a vicious circle”. The leader of the opposition party took advantage of the opportunity to attack the recently approved legal reform that allows an “express disconnection”, and that first passed parliamentary procedures despite the opposition’s disapproval.

Spanish Unionist ‘Ciutadans’ and the Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) will take the budget bill for 2017, which was due to be put to vote this February, to the Council for Statutory Guarantees. The function of the body is to check whether the regulations of the Catalan Government comply with the Catalan Statute of Autonomy and the Spanish Constitution. The spokesperson of ‘Ciutadans’ and PSC in the Parliament considers the items allocated for calling “a new 9-N” to be against both the Catalan Statute of Autonomy and the Spanish Constitution. Moreover, they noted that other budget lines are “unclear” and may be “hidden” in order to ultimately hold the referendum in September 2017, as the Catalan President, Carles Puigdemont, has repeatedly announced.