SPAIN: Catalan separatist parties win a majority in regional parliament but main separatist group conservative CiU loses ground

Record ID: 451540

  • Title: SPAIN: Catalan separatist parties win a majority in regional parliament but main separatist group conservative CiU loses ground
  • Date: 26th November 2012
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF REPUBLICAN LEFT FOLLOWERS CELEBRATING
  • Embargoed: 11th December 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Spain
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA1N607GEJF7YGDN906V87S98PZ
  • Story Text: Four separatist parties in Spain's Catalonia looked set to win a majority in regional elections on Sunday (November 25), partial results showed, but the main one led by regional president Artur Mas of Convergence and Union lost some seats, as pro independence partu Republic Left (ERC) made gains.
    With 99 percent of votes counted, the ruling Convergence and Union alliance, or CiU, was set to win 50 seats in the 135-seat local parliament, well down from its current 62 seats.
    The separatist Republican Left, or ERC, was set to win 21 seats, a huge jump from its present 11 seats, leading many to consider the ERC the "winner" of the election night in terms of gains. Two other smaller separatist -parties took a total of 16 seats, giving the four parties a majority between them.
    Some analysts considered the CiU did not perform to expectation after its leader Mas called snap elections riding on rising pro independence feelings.
    Regional President Mas, of CiU, had campaigned on a pledge to hold a referendum on independence in response to a resurgent separatist movement among Catalans who are frustrated with Spain in a deep economic crisis.
    Opinion polls had forecast that CiU would retain 62 or more seats in the local Parliament and that all four separatist parties would have more than two-thirds of the seats. Neither of those projections was met as the results began to come in.
    Without the psychological backing of a two-thirds majority, analysts have said, it may be hard for Mas to defy the constitution and the central government in Madrid and try to hold a referendum.
    Mas, however, was upbeat when he addressed his followers at Barcelona's Majestic Hotel.
    "People have spoken. We submit ourselves to the verdict of the ballot box. This is the will of the people of Catalonia. We accept it as well as we accept the consequences of the result. It means we will be the leaders of this new government, but we will need another force or other forces to take responsibility as well," Mas said.
    Turnout was very high in the election at 68 percent, 10 percentage point higher than in the previous vote two years ago.
    With more people than Denmark and an economy almost as big as Portugal's, Catalonia has its own language. Like Basques, Catalans see themselves as distinct from the rest of Spain.
    Growing Catalan separatism is a huge challenge for Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who is trying to bring down painfully high borrowing costs by persuading investors of Spain's fiscal and political stability.
    Mas converted to separatism after huge street demonstrations in September and on Sunday he encouraged the people of Catalonia to continue heading down the separatist path and call for a referendum.
    "Those who read this euphorically because they think the process Catalonia has started has been aborted should take care; they should know how to do their maths. Doing maths correctly, it is obvious that those political forces that are for, at least, the right to decide, which was our big commitment in this election - the right to decide and to decide our future with freedom - is a very clear result, with a big result in the parliament of Catalonia," Mas said.
    His supporters were confident that despite losing seats, Mas could strike a deal with the Republican Left.
    "It is not the result we 'convergents' expected, but CIU will still be the leading force in the parliament. So let's hope they can still lead joined by Republican Left and lead the process to independence," CiU voter Monica said.
    Taking on the separatist cause has not been enough to guarantee Mas a majority as the electorate swayed in favour of a separatist option with a more left leaning ideology, in reaction, some analysts say, to deep cuts in the social sector by Mas's government.
    Up until recently, Mas was a moderate nationalist who had pushed Spain to give Catalonia more self-governing powers. He has followed the popular mood in converting to a more radical separatism, but it is not clear he can hold a referendum legally.
    Republican leader Oriol Junqueras welcomed Sunday's results saying the people had spoken in favour of breaking away from Spain.
    "The people of Catalonia have expressed their will, and they have voted for the independence process. The sovereign block that aimed for a step forward, to the recognition of our country and to having a state of our own, Catalonia having its own state," Junqueras said.
    Many Catalans are angry that Rajoy has refused to negotiate a new tax deal with their largely self-governing region. Annually, an estimated 16 billion euros ($21 billion) in taxes paid in Catalonia, about 8 percent of its economic output, is not returned to the region.
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