Regional elections in Catalonia, the socialists in the lead, Puigdemont in ambush

by Joan Faus

BARCELONA (Reuters) – The Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE) was in the lead at the polls on Sunday in the regional elections in Catalonia, after 50% of the ballots were counted.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s Socialists were in the lead with 41 seats in the regional parliament, far from the absolute majority of 68 seats.

In second position, Junts per Catalunya wins 35 seats, while Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC), which currently governs the region, is credited with 20 seats.

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This early vote is a national issue and should make it possible to measure the strength of the separatists and could decide the fate of the government of socialist Pedro Sanchez.

Carles Puigdemont, former president of Catalonia once in exile in Belgium, is the candidate of Junts per Catalunya (“Together for Catalonia”).

In 2017, his government organized a self-determination referendum – banned by the courts – and unilaterally declared the independence of Catalonia. Separatist leaders had been arrested and imprisoned, others had fled abroad.

“Today we are stronger, more resilient and determined. It is time to come back,” Carles Puigdemont said at a campaign event on Friday in the south of France, on the border with Catalonia.

Carles Puigdemont is the subject of prosecution in Spain for his role in the referendum on the independence of Catalonia declared illegal by the Spanish courts.

He is expected to return to Spain once the amnesty agreed with the ruling Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) comes into force.

“We are the largest non-state nation in Europe, and Spain has not been able to stop us from working tirelessly to achieve independence,” Puigdemont said.

A victory for the Socialists would put an end to a decade of separatist governments and justify the conciliatory approach adopted by Pedro Sanchez towards Catalonia.

“We need a change on May 12, and only Salvador Illa can bring it,” Pedro Sanchez said during a campaign event organized by the PSOE in Barcelona, ​​referring to the Spanish Socialists’ candidate.

According to polls, however, some 40% of voters say they are undecided.

UNDECIDED VOTERS

Lino Iglesias, a 76-year-old Barcelona resident, said he would only decide who to vote for at the last minute.

“I don’t trust any candidate,” he said, hesitating between the Popular Party (PP, right) and Junts per Catalunya, despite his aversion to Carles Puigdemont.

With an absolute majority of 68 seats, however, the formation of a government coalition seems inevitable.

If the Socialists win, they could seek to ally with ERC or Junts per Catalunya, although both separatist parties have so far ruled out this possibility.

Otherwise, the Socialists could attempt an even more unlikely alliance with the PP, their main rival at the national level.

ERC or Junts per Catalunya, if they win the vote, could seek to form a new pro-independence government.

If no coalition agreement was reached by August, a new election would be held in October.

(With the contribution of Belén Carreño; French version Camille Raynaud)