By MATT MOFFETT | The Wall Street Journal
Democratic Convergence and Republican Left agree to run united slate of candidates in forthcoming Catalan elections
The two leading pro-independence parties in Spain's wealthy Catalonia region agreed to run a unified slate of candidates for September's regional elections, a move that could breathe new life into the stumbling secession movement.
Catalonia's governing Democratic Convergence party and the Republican Left of Catalonia thrashed out the agreement in the past few days, officials of the parties said Wednesday, ending months of bickering that contributed to a decline in support for independence in the polls.
Pro-secession leaders say Catalonia's regional elections on Sept. 27 will serve as areferendum on independence. If they win, these leaders say, they would start a process to establish a Catalan state within a matter of months.
In recent years, Catalonia, which generates a quarter of Spain's exports, has witnessed massive protests by independence activists claiming that the central government in Madrid drains the region of taxes without respecting its culture.
The agreement on the unified list is likely to place the Catalan question once again at the forefront of challenges facing Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who must call general elections by the end of the year.
"To some extent, it's Groundhog Day, and we're going to see another tense autumn in Catalonia," said Andrew Dowling, a specialist on Catalan and Spanish history at Cardiff University.
Andrea Levy, a Vice Secretary for Mr. Rajoy's conservative Popular Party, responded with an attack on Catalan President Artur Mas. "During times of crisis," Levy said, Mas "has put all of his energy into himself, into his personal glory, but not into the priorities that exist in Catalonia."
Mr. Rajoy, whose party now receives only marginal support in the region, maintains that secession is unconstitutional.
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Catalonia to Defy Spanish Court on Independence Vote — WSJ (Nov. 4, 2014)
Catalonia Calls for Talks on Independence From Spain (Nov. 11, 2014)
The agreement between the Catalan parties would place notable figures from civil society in prominent positions on the candidate list in Barcelona, the most populous of Catalonia's four provinces—an acknowledgment of the widespread disenchantment with career politicians among many voters.
Under the pact, Mr. Mas would appear fourth on that list, but would again head the government if the pro-independence slate won.
Mr. Mas had long held out for a unified list, despite resistance from the Republican Left. "What Madrid most fears is one list, one program and one majority," Mr. Mas said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal earlier this year.
An often acrimonious debate over how to structure the list had dragged on since last November. That month, more than two million Catalans participated in a symbolic vote on independence, even after Spain's Constitutional Court had deemed it illegal.
Sparring over the list sapped momentum from the independence push, polls indicate. One released earlier in July by the Catalan government's Center for Opinion Studies found that opposition to independence outpolled support by 50% to 42.9%. As recently as nine months ago, the pro-independence option had held a substantial lead in such surveys.
Independence advocates say their movement has also been hurt by the rise of Podemos, an 18-month-old far-left party that has drawn away some Catalans who had backed independence as a form of protest against the Rajoy government.
In May, Podemos-backed candidates won municipal elections in several Spanish cities; in Barcelona leftist candidate Ada Colau won the mayor's race with support from Podemos, ousting the Democratic Convergence incumbent.
Nevertheless, Mr. Dowling said recent polls suggest that support for Podemos is starting to wane. He said a Podemos-backed coalition would have a difficult time replicating its success in Barcelona in the rest of Catalonia or finding a regional candidate as popular as Ms. Colau, widely known for starting a group that blocked evictions of cash-strapped homeowners.
Catalonia's electoral system gives disproportionate weighting to smaller towns and villages, where support for independence is high, making it conceivable that the pro-independence ticket could win a majority in parliament even if it falls short of a majority in the popular vote, Mr. Dowling added.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/catalan-independence-parties-form-united-front-against-madrid-1436975801
The two leading pro-independence parties in Spain's wealthy Catalonia region agreed to run a unified slate of candidates for September's regional elections, a move that could breathe new life into the stumbling secession movement.
Catalonia's governing Democratic Convergence party and the Republican Left of Catalonia thrashed out the agreement in the past few days, officials of the parties said Wednesday, ending months of bickering that contributed to a decline in support for independence in the polls.
Pro-secession leaders say Catalonia's regional elections on Sept. 27 will serve as areferendum on independence. If they win, these leaders say, they would start a process to establish a Catalan state within a matter of months.
In recent years, Catalonia, which generates a quarter of Spain's exports, has witnessed massive protests by independence activists claiming that the central government in Madrid drains the region of taxes without respecting its culture.
The agreement on the unified list is likely to place the Catalan question once again at the forefront of challenges facing Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who must call general elections by the end of the year.
"To some extent, it's Groundhog Day, and we're going to see another tense autumn in Catalonia," said Andrew Dowling, a specialist on Catalan and Spanish history at Cardiff University.
Andrea Levy, a Vice Secretary for Mr. Rajoy's conservative Popular Party, responded with an attack on Catalan President Artur Mas. "During times of crisis," Levy said, Mas "has put all of his energy into himself, into his personal glory, but not into the priorities that exist in Catalonia."
Mr. Rajoy, whose party now receives only marginal support in the region, maintains that secession is unconstitutional.
RELATED
Catalonia to Hold Early Regional Elections in September (Jan. 14)
Catalonia to Defy Spanish Court on Independence Vote — WSJ (Nov. 4, 2014)
Catalonia Calls for Talks on Independence From Spain (Nov. 11, 2014)
The agreement between the Catalan parties would place notable figures from civil society in prominent positions on the candidate list in Barcelona, the most populous of Catalonia's four provinces—an acknowledgment of the widespread disenchantment with career politicians among many voters.
Under the pact, Mr. Mas would appear fourth on that list, but would again head the government if the pro-independence slate won.
Mr. Mas had long held out for a unified list, despite resistance from the Republican Left. "What Madrid most fears is one list, one program and one majority," Mr. Mas said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal earlier this year.
An often acrimonious debate over how to structure the list had dragged on since last November. That month, more than two million Catalans participated in a symbolic vote on independence, even after Spain's Constitutional Court had deemed it illegal.
Sparring over the list sapped momentum from the independence push, polls indicate. One released earlier in July by the Catalan government's Center for Opinion Studies found that opposition to independence outpolled support by 50% to 42.9%. As recently as nine months ago, the pro-independence option had held a substantial lead in such surveys.
Independence advocates say their movement has also been hurt by the rise of Podemos, an 18-month-old far-left party that has drawn away some Catalans who had backed independence as a form of protest against the Rajoy government.
In May, Podemos-backed candidates won municipal elections in several Spanish cities; in Barcelona leftist candidate Ada Colau won the mayor's race with support from Podemos, ousting the Democratic Convergence incumbent.
Nevertheless, Mr. Dowling said recent polls suggest that support for Podemos is starting to wane. He said a Podemos-backed coalition would have a difficult time replicating its success in Barcelona in the rest of Catalonia or finding a regional candidate as popular as Ms. Colau, widely known for starting a group that blocked evictions of cash-strapped homeowners.
Catalonia's electoral system gives disproportionate weighting to smaller towns and villages, where support for independence is high, making it conceivable that the pro-independence ticket could win a majority in parliament even if it falls short of a majority in the popular vote, Mr. Dowling added.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/catalan-independence-parties-form-united-front-against-madrid-1436975801
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