Catalonia: Separatists lose majority, Socialists make gains

12 comments

1. Booo

2. Interesting. Hopefully this is an indicator that we’re moving towards a comprehensive solution in this issue, respecting everyones interests.

3. Separatists lose majority, the minister that has cases of corruption opened make gains.

4. The right wing has insisted again and again, that the current government was propping up the indepence movement. That their attitude to their issue would only lead for a surge in votes for the independent parties. Yet here we are. Who would have thought that dialogue and combined action would be a more effective measure than antagonization.

5. Vox also peaked a few years ago (including in opinion polling mid-2022), so hopefully, despite all the doom and gloom, Spain is becoming politically more centrist again.

6. Bye bye Pugi

7. Socialists in name only, just like the Portuguese parties that also are named much more left than their ideology (the Christian liberal-conservative party is called Social Democratic Center) both socialist parties are more like social democrats 

8. Separatists have done nothing but destabilise the region, cause financial trouble and act as fifth column for Russia. Hopefully they’re on their way out for good.

9. I wonder what would have happened if Puigdemont hadn’t chickened out in 2017. The “suspension” of the referendum and his escape really killed the separatist movement.

10. It’s worth noting that the current gov’t (ERC) took most of the hit. I think this is because they failed to pursue their separatist agenda and the people just shifted to the other main moderate left party, despite not being separatist.

    Still, Illa (PSC leader) does not have it easy because the numbers don’t add up except with a three-way with ERC and Comuns (far left).

    ERC has some leverage because they are sustaining the central PSOE government so we’ll have to see what happens in the next weeks.

11. I know that Sanches is hated by the right wingers and but from an outsider’s perspective hevseemed to have pulled off two important things. He managed to put an end to the political instability when Spain had a couple of snap electionts and his management of separatist tensions is proving to be quite succesfull.

12. Thoughts:

    – ERC definitely took a hit from being in a minority government in a difficult term, and not making the best decisions.

    – PSC has picked up the centrist voters that were dissatisfied with ERC and didn’t abstain.

    – PSC has benefitted from the Sánchez effect.

    – Junts went into this elections with a populist campaign aimed at taking independentist votes from ERC, which worked. Not much of a program otherwise.

    – Voter turnout was low. Not as low as in 2021, with the pandemic, but historically low otherwise. It shows that the independentist voter is generally burnt out with politics.

    – Realistically the only viable president is PSC’s candidate, but even if he manages to get the support, his term will be a difficult one. He will probably have to rule in minority. Ironically, it seems he will need ERC to at least abstain.